Battle Of The Bands
by EstelleYS
Summary: Itachi, Deidara, Hidan and Tobi are in a band named Akaku , and Kisame, Sasori, Kakuzu and Zetsu are band members of Tsukisa . With Konan and Pein as managers of each band respectively, what's going to happen when both bands go on a group tour together?
1. Chapter 1

This is a whole new story!!!  
All Akatsuki Members are involved, so i'm not sure which pairing to submit this as. Maybe i'll edit the pairing once in awhile, although i doubt i'll change it because i'm either too absorbed in writing the next chapter, or too lazy... =="  
Please enjoy. [It gets more intense as the story goes on :]  
Disclaimers: None of the characters belong to me, Naruto doesn't belong to me, and this fan fiction is in no way related to the anime or manga. Not sure of spoilers, this story may not have any.

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Band members of [Akaku]:

18, Uchiha Itachi*- Lead singer and Bass guitarist. [violin]  
18, Deidara- Electric and Acoustic guitarist.  
18, Hidan- Keyboardist and pianist.  
18, Tobi- Drummer.  
21, Konan~ Manager

Band members of [Tsukisa]:

26, Hoshigaki Kisame*- Lead singer, bass and electric guitarist.  
20, Sasori- Keyboardist and pianist.  
26, Kakuzu- Bass and Acoustic guitarist.  
24, Zetsu- Drummer.  
27, Pein~ Manager

*-Songwriters

* * *

"Eh? Group tour?" Itachi repeated, and Konan nodded, pulling out a booklet from her folder, sliding it across the table to him. He retrieved it with much difficulty, seeing as he was currently writing a song and there were about 80 stacks of paper varying in height sprawled like a wall around him. Flipping through it, Deidara's interest was aroused and he stood behind Itachi, taking in the details as Itachi went through the pages. "America??!" he exclaimed, and Itachi put a paper ball in his mouth. "Shut up, Deidara." He said, as he handed the booklet back to Konan, and it was hastily read by Hidan, followed by Tobi, who decided it might be worth reading after all, what with Deidara mentioning America.

"Since we're one in a million up-and-coming bands," Konan said, "we need publicity, and experience. What with this band agreeing to take us on a group tour with them, we could really gain a lot from this."

Tobi handed her back the booklet, grinning. "America!! America!!" he said excitedly, and Deidara rolled his eyes as he went back to tuning his guitar. Hidan turned to Konan and sighed, returning to the setting up of his keyboard amps and their volume controls. Itachi turned to Konan and nodded. "This is a good idea. When are we leaving?" he asked, and Konan scratched the back of her head, chuckling nervously. "Well… about that…" she turned to the rest. "Ehm. Tomorrow."

"WHAAAAT?!??!" Hidan shouted, and Konan's hands shot to cover her ears. Deidara got up and began yelling as well, and Tobi had to stop him from wrangling Konan for the flight papers to see if it was true. Itachi stood up in shock and headed over, pulling Konan to one side and bombarding her with questions. As calmly as he could, and politely.

"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?" he said, his blood pressure, thankfully, decreasing. Konan sighed and gestured, "I don't know!! I only got the letters today; it was supposed to be sent a couple of weeks ago!! It… must have gotten lost, in the mail, or something." She said, looking at her hands, and Itachi nodded. "So it was an error of the government." He clarified, and Konan nodded, to save her ass. He let his fringe hang over his eyes and let Hidan and Deidara at her, and he went off to ponder the trip. When he turned around, Konan gasped for breath as she stood up and ran aside, Deidara and Hidan in a brawling heap on the floor, with Tobi laughing at them.

"Ok. No panicking." He instructed, and Hidan stopped, his arm strangling Deidara coming loose. They too, stood up and listened to Itachi. He cleared his throat and spoke pointedly to Konan. "We'll find a way to salvage the situation. Konan, make copies of the packing list for us, and make sure we have our insurance checked, which I'm sure our company has already done, but just verify the statements. To the rest of you, pack only what's necessary, we can get more clothes over there. Your instruments are first priority, make sure you bring everything that you need along. Clothes aren't as important. The flight is tomorrow morning, so we have to be quick about this. And please, for the love of god, Tobi, don't show us up in front of another rival band. If you wear that 'Tobi is a good boy' shirt, I will have to hurt you. Now quick, dismissed." He let out, and they nodded, Itachi taking the original booklet with the packing list while Konan made a copy of hers to hand to the rest.

Itachi washed his face when he got to his room, sighing as he straightened his back and headed to his wardrobe, throwing it open and revealing masses of red and black clothes. He got out a simple black zip bag, tossing in liberal amounts of accessories, chains, badges, leather bangles and rings. Out of the mass, he picked out a black leather collar with a buckled bangle to match, 2 rings, 2 chains and a couple of his favorite badges, tossing them on his bed for tomorrow.

Going through his clothes, he picked out several pairs of black jeans, some of them with red imprints and chains, some with matching belts... after browsing his shirts, he took along 6 T-shirts, 4 work shirts and 2 tux jackets, in case he needed meeting with anyone high up before a gig. Colors were not much of an option, everything he owned was red and black, just in different shades.

He picked out 2 ties, one crimson red and the other black with crimson lines. He took also, 4 pairs of detachable sleeves, which could be hooked on to his shirts, since he'd tailored them to have a small buckle under each sleeve. He took along, obviously, his underwear, and 4 black singlets for sleeping. After some consideration, he packed along his 2 prized long coats, a black with red edging and a sort of dusky red colored suede. He decided to wear his red shirt with black graffiti and their band name, [AKAKU], which meant Reds, on it… with his long-sleeved shirt underneath, along with his comfortable black chained jeans.

Putting in some basic casuals, he began packing in his musical gear.

* * *

"Kisame, are you done packing?"

Kisame looked up from his suitcase. "About to. Come in." he said, and Kakuzu walked into the room. He surveyed the place and whistled. "Whoa." He breathed, and Kisame followed his gaze, standing up. "I know. The classic [I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO CLEAN YOUR ROOM!!] masterpiece." He grinned, and Kakuzu rolled his eyes, sighing. "It's not something to be proud of, Kisame. Need help?" he asked, and Kisame shook his head. Then he nodded. "Just help me get a couple of good ties from the drawer and I'm done." He said, and Kakuzu nodded, setting out for the mahogany drawers. Kisame tossed his clothes for the next day on the bed and nodded.

Sasori came in without bothering to knock, muttering, "Excuse me." Then he froze in his tracks, surveying the room with distaste. "Your masterpiece, Kisame?" he asked, and Kisame grinned. "Orderly just isn't y style." He answered, and he sank down on his sea blue sheets. Sasori looked at the outfit laid out on the bed next to him. "That what you're going to wear tomorrow?" he asked, and Kisame nodded.

He'd picked out a long-sleeved black shirt with blue lines running down his right shoulder, ending in a blast of water at the hem of the fabric. Below that, he had a pair of dark blue jeans and a black belt with their band name on it… [TSUKISA], Rising Star. And Sasori guessed he was intending to bring his black boots with that outfit, or his black and blue canvas shoes.  
"Not bad." He remarked simply, and Kisame smirked, twirling a pen between his fingers. Then, suddenly, "KISAME!! SASORI! KAKUZU!! ZETSU!"

Kakuzu's head shot up and Kisame sat up, and Sasori stood up. At the same time, they answered, "YEAH!!?" the reply came, "GET OVER HERE!! I HAVE PICTURES OF THE BAND WE'RE TAKING WITH US!!"

Kisame headed out of the room, the other 2 in tow, to the living room, where A4 size pictures had been printed from the computer. Kisame picked up what seemed to be a group picture, which showed a sulky raven haired kid, a smirking blond with a shirtless Albino with a coat on, a spiky haired matte black haired boy and a lady with blue hair and a flower in her hair, grinning at the camera. They all seemed to be trying to make the raven smile, which he did, in a later photo, a faked but very, VERY well-faked smile, which looked real. Kisame was familiar with that smile. He used it, too, sometimes.

Sasori was staring pointedly at the blonde, in a single person photo, whereby he happened to have his hands immersed in a pile of clay. "Is... is this a girl..." Sasori muttered inaudibly. He picked up another picture and continued browsing. Kakuzu was walking out of the room already, not interested. Zetsu was picking up pictures with the spiky haired kid, whom Pein had informed his was the drummer of the group.

Kisame tilted his head. "Hey, Pein san, who's the lead singer of the group?" he asked, and Pein pointed to the raven kid in what seemed like a Christmas gig, since the board behind them cheerfully declared [CHRISTMAS, AKAKU STYLE!!]. Kisame observed the boy, who had his eyes closed in song, and although he wasn't smiling, he seemed happier than in all the other pictures to Kisame. Even the ones where he seemed to be making the effort to smile, even though he was probably bored to the extreme.

'What an interesting kid.' Kisame thought to himself, sitting down on the couch and leaning his head on his fist, picking up and individual photo of the raven, a candid photo where he was, again, lost in music in a recording studio, whereby he had his hands in fists, crying out to the microphone with his voice and eyes. Somehow, this kid seemed very interesting to Kisame. He smiled as he flicked the photo back onto the glass table, and Pein picked all of them up, arranging them back into a stack and slipping them away in an envelope.

"I'm hoping you'll sit with them tomorrow, instead of huddling to people in or own band." He said, loud enough for Kakuzu, who was in the next room with the door open, to hear. Kakuzu grunted in response, turning the pages of their own songbook, searching for the cords to World Is Mine to practice. Kisame nodded. "Don't worry, we will."

Pein handed the envelope to Kisame. "Burn it, rip it, dump it, eat it, shove it up your ass. I don't care as long as that song makes to my table in 3 days." He said, narrowing his eyes, and Kisame nodded, taking the envelope nervously. He walked back to his room and lay the pictures out on his bed after he finished backing, and scrutinized the raven again. Something about this boy just intrigued him.

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Please Review? Constructive critisism will be well accepted.


	2. Chapter 2

In this story, Sasori's height is revealed to be roughly the same as Hidan's and Deidara's. It just makes things easier.

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The next morning, Deidara awoke to the sound of his alarm ringing as per normal. He rose out of bed, pushing the button down to cut off the sound. Slipping the sheets off, he sighed as he made his way to the bathroom for his usual morning routine. In the mirror, he ran his fingers through his hair and hooked it through his hair band, tying it tightly into his standard ponytail. Satisfied with the temporary fix, he washed and brushed up, exiting the bathroom while wiping his fac. A knock sounded, and Deidara padded across the room to open the door.

"Let's go, the flight leaves in 3 hours and we have to be at the airport within 30 minutes." Hidan said, jerking his thumb In the direction of the door. Itachi walked over, all dressed and ready, munching on a piece of toast. Deidara nodded, heading back into his room to change. They had a custom for their band appearances. Itachi would wear black and red, Deidara would wear black and yellow, Hidan would have black and silver, and Tobi black and orange. He'd already roughly picked out what he was going to wear today, so he proceeded to his reading chair, where he'd carelessly thrown his outfit for the flight over.

A black shirt with yellow line circles in different thickness, and black detached sleeves in case the plane was cold, which it probably was. Black jeans with a yellow imprint of their band name on his ass pocket, with a couple of chains on a leather belt. He had on 2 thick bangles and boots too, and a black strap around his neck, with a dangling topaz on it and thin silver chains looping around the strap. That was about it for him. After putting it all on, he looked at his room for the last time, sighing as he grabbed his instrument case and luggage, heading out of the room.

In the living room, Tobi was reclining on the couch, unusually serious. Deidara narrowed his eyes at the 4 of them gathered. "What's going on, un??" he asked Konan, and she gestured at Tobi. "You know how Tobi gets impatient if the plans are hanged even slightly." She said, and Itachi sighed. "We're sending our stuff over to the airport first while we meet the other band at a café there. The flight's delayed half an hour." He informed, and Deidara rolled his eyes at Tobi. "I think you're over reacting, un, just a little." He laughed, and Tobi rolled his eyes, glaring at a glass of ice in his hand.

Soon, the van arrived, and they loaded their instruments and luggage into it. Konan called a cab, which arrived soon after that. Deidara observed what the other 2 were wearing, having taken in what Itachi had on in the living room. Hidan had on a black sleeveless high collared top, with a white silverish undershirt to stretch to his wrists for the plane ride. It was rare that Hidan would wear a double layered shirt since he was pretty sensitive to the elements being an albino, but since the plane was bound to be cold…

Hidan also had on a pair of black baggy jeans and 2 belts, which he crossed over. One was silver, and the one on top was black with a silver version of their band emblem on it. A loose strap had hung from his jeans too, and various accessories had been put on, including a leather bangle he'd gotten from Deidara as a Christmas present last hear. For his shoes, simple converse high tops with silver laces had sufficed. Hidan ran a hand through his hair and sat down, waiting for their ride.

Deidara switched his focus on Tobi. The boy had on a pair of thin lense black rimmed orange glasses, and an orange scarf around his neck. Deidara didn't know if he had anything around his neck. Under his scarf, Tobi had on a long sleeves black shirt with many zips crossing each other, all lined with orange. None of them could open, obviously. It was all for show. For his bottoms, he had on a pair of plain black jeans, and his had on orange Converse high tops splashed with logos. Deidara considered for a moment before coming to the conclusion that the reason why they were all able to look so… err… good, together, was probably because most of the stuff they had were tailored to their style, and respective color codes.

Tobi was just calming down from his pissed off-ness, and he sighed, staring blankly at the sky as a black Limousine rolled up their driveway. "Holy shit. There's a fancy cab." Deidara said, as he grabbed his carry on. Tobi grinned in his usual goofy way and twirled his drumsticks in the air, which he refused to put in his luggage. Hidan grabbed one as it fell out of rhythm, and hit Tobi on his back with it. "Watch it, doofus." He commented, sliding in the cab with his own Kipling carry on. Itachi switched on his Ipod and slid in after him. Itachi and Hidan faced the front of the car, while Deidara, Konan and Tobi faced them, sitting on a comfortable black sofa. Deidara leaned against the window. This was the last of Japan he'd see for awhile. Itachi patted his shoulder as he felt uncomfortably like tearing up. Deidara was extremely prone to tears right now.

"We'll be well taken care of by the recording studio people." Itachi assured all of them, his sight straying from Deidara to the rest. "This limo should prove it well enough." Giving them one of his rare smiles, he said sincerely, "I'm sure we're going to be just fine. The company's willing to dish the dough out because we're an asset to them." He said, and Tobi nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!" Hidan smirked, and Konan smiled. Deidara grinned at Itachi.

"Thanks, un."

As they neared the airport, Deidara and Itachi were in a discussion about the second verse of their newest song, and Hidan and Tobi were annoying the hell out of each other. Konan was trying t stop them from DESTROYING the car. Thankfully, they reached before much damage could be done to the mainframe of the vehicle. Although the driver never did figure out how one of his leather seats had a hole in the covers. Although Konan lied and said it was already there extremely convincingly, Hidan had actually stabbed the thing with a butter knife he'd found in the utensil box on top of the mini freezer in a fit of anger.

"I hope we're not late." Itachi said, pulling on his thin leather gloves. Deidara put his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, un. We're not." He said, and they proceeded some to the departure hall, where they and the other band had agreed to meet to wait for the flight together. Immediately, a band of girls nearby shrieked. One of them started yelling for Japan. "O. M. F. G. IT'S THEM!!! SAKURA!! SAKUURAA!!!! IT'S THEM, IT'S THEM!!"

"OH MY GOD, IT'S AKAKU!! THAT HOT BOY BAND!!!" some girl in a pink frilly skirt yelled. Itachi shivered. It pained him to see one of his band fans looked like THAT.

Tobi shot one of the girls a smile as he asked as pleasantly as he could, "Will you please allow me to pass?" of course, it was ignored as another one shouted, "I heard they're going away on a tour with Tsukisa!!!"

"I know, I KNOW!!!!! O. M. G, it's so SAAAD!!!" Deidara yanked his sleeve away from one of the fan girls. "STOP IT, UN!! I like this shirt!!" this just made the fan girls want to tear if off him even more.

"AKAKU!!! DON'T LEAVE US!!! Stay in Japan!! You'll have us!!"Hidan sighed as Itachi grabbed his turtleneck collar. "That's why we want to leave." He muttered, running. Konan rolled her eyes as Deidara shouted, "BREAK FOR THE GLASS DOORS, UN!! They're got security there!!!" he yelled, and Itachi nodded. "Deidara's right, run!!" he shouted over the screams, and he threw Hidan through the doors, and Konan dashed through them after him. Tobi hightailed in, collapsing on top of Hidan, who had begun praying to his God for that to NEVER happen again. Konan dragged both of them off carpeted floor and rolled her eyes, yelling for Deidara and Itachi to get a move n so that they could check in together.

"I AM WORKING ON IT, UN!!" Deidara yelled in reply, and Itachi pushed a girl off him carefully, but firmly. He glared at the bevy of girls in general. Clearing his throat, he pronounced, "Please allow us to pass. We will be late for our meeting with the Tsukisa band members." He said firmly, and then he sighed. All was quiet for a second, then one of the fan girls squealed at in insanely high pitched tone. "OH, MY GOD!! Ino, don't you think he looked so cute when he's troubled by something??! How can someone look so sexy just by SIGHING??! Right, RIGHT, Ino?!?!" she yelled, and the girl who was presumably named Ino stopped drooling over Deidara for a second and nodded absently. "Uh, yeah, yeah. Sure."

Itachi growled and held Deidara's arm firmly. Deidara winced and went along with Itachi, who tried his best to pull them through the glass doors. However, Itachi's hand slipped as the fan girls pulled him back out, and Deidara yelled as Itachi let go of him. He tried to turn around to push his way backwards into the departure hall, but this only resulted in him twisting his ankle slightly. He let out a howl of pain.

"OW, UN!! LET ME GO ALREADY!!!"

* * *

"What's that racket." Kisame commented, shutting his right eyes as he grinned, leaning his head on his fist as usual. Kakuzu looked out at the planes with disinterest. "It seems the other band is experiencing a fandom problem." Zetsu said, craning his neck to look. Attention aroused, Sasori turned to look at the scene. All the members from the band seemed to be through the doors, and they were trying to pull one more of them inside. Kakuzu watched as Sasori stood up. "What are you going to do?" he asked simply, and Sasori walked over to the scene.

Kisame smirked as he sipped his coffee. "Wait and see, then."

Heading over the the four who were through the gates, he glanced at them for a second. Hidan moved backwards to avoid bumping into the guy. They were about the same height. "Move aside." He instructed, and they did. Deidara was backing as far as he could into the departure hall, and abruptly, Sasori grabbed him from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him into the departure hall. Deidara yelped as his ankle dragged on the floor, falling in between Sasori's lags, facing the glass doors. Immediately, the door was closed by a group of security guards, who gave them the thumbs up sign. Sasori nodded his thanks, and then turned his attention to Deidara.

"Thanks, un." He muttered, and Sasori turned him around to face him. "Are you hurt?" he asked emotionlessly, and Deidara turned to look at his band mates. "Well… I think my ankle's a little twisted, un…" he scratched the back of his head. Konan kneeled down on Deidara's other side, concerned. Sasori nodded. "Ok, we'll get this treated before we leave." He said, and Hidan echoed, "We?"

Kisame walked over. "We're Tsukisa. I'm Kisame, and he's Sasori. Come over to the café and you'll meet the rest." He invited, and then he looked at Itachi for awhile. At first, Itachi was compelled to look away, but slowly, he felt himself gaining confidence, staring the taller guy down. After a minute of looking at each other, Kisame turned on his heel and muttered, "Excellent eyes."

"You must be Pein san." Konan greeted a freaky looking guy with a jewelry shop on his face. The guy nodded. "Pein will do, Konan. After all, we've known each other in the past." Hidan cut in, "Can I get some ice cream?" Itachi rolled his eyes while he scanned the menu. "You and your ice cream fetish, Hidan. Honestly, you should get some proper food. Like fish. Which is what I'm having." He ended, ordering something. Hidan rolled his eyes and ordered a double scoop vanilla with melted chocolate and whipped cream on the side. Konan just ordered a drink, some fizzy soda… something.

"Deidara?" Itachi asked, concerned as Tobi made his order of a chocolate brownie. Deidara shook his head, smiling with a pained expression. "I'm good, un. I don't need anything." "No way. You need something sweet or you'll go into shock." Sasori said firmly. They stared at him, and Deidara sighed after a minute. "Ok, un. A chocolate frappe then." He smiled apologetically at the waitress, and she walked away, blushing.

"Ok then… we should probably begin with the introductions…" Itachi cleared his throat, looking at Konan, who was staring at Kakuzu and Zetsu, one of them reading a newspaper and the other scanning what seemed to be a score sheet, tapping out the rhythm with his shoe. "Oh. Right." he said, and Deidara shifted. Hidan looked over his shoulder, bored, and finally, Tobi was smiling at everyone who walked past them. Itachi sighed.

"Our manager Konan…" he said, and Konan smiled. "Please to meet you." She added. "Please take care of our band!" she smiled again, and Itachi moved on. "That's Deidara, our electric and acoustic guitarist…" Deidara lifted his hands and smiled an awkward smile. "… Hidan, who's our pianist and keyboardist…" Hidan looked at the other band members and grinned. "Hey."

Gesturing to Tobi, Itachi continued, "Tobi, our drummer…" Tobi did a peace sign, "Great to be working with a professional group!" he said, and Itachi put his hands in his lap and said, "And I'm Itachi, vocalist and bass guitarist. Please take care of me." He said, bowing slightly. Kisame raised his eyebrows. He was polite, too. This guys had come from the Uchiha's, though. No wonder. "Well, I'm Kisame. Vocalist and electric guitarist." He said, grinning. He jerked his thumb over at Kakuzu, "That's Kakuzu, he's our bass and acoustic guitarist, that's Zetsu, he's on the drums," he turned to Pein, "Pein's our manager, and Sasori, who saved the blonde gir… kid, is on the piano and keyboards." He finished, as Sasori and Deidara glared at him.

Both Itachi and Kisame thought the same thing. 'I smell a relationship brewing already.'

Sasori looked at the waitress, who had arrived with everyone's orders. "Thank you." He offered as she sat down the various dishes and drinks. She smiled and walked away. He made for the coffee and handed Deidara his Chocolate frappe. It was too far for him to reach. Tobi scooped some of the vanilla ice cream that came with the brownie, eating it along with the deliciously rich chocolate. Deidara sipped the chocolate and smiled. It was good. "The flight's going to leave in about an hour, we're just going to hang out here for a while more, then we're going to go to the gate when they start calling, yeah?" Pein said, drinking his coffee and reading what seemed to be their flight details.

"Sasori, un." Deidara said softly, and Sasori glanced at him for a second. "Yes?" he whispered.

"This sounds weird, un, but thanks, for saving me from a bunch of rabid fan girls, un." He smiled, and Sasori smiled a small, subtle smile back. "You're welcome." He replied. Deidara happily finished his drink and Itachi asked, "Your ankle, Deidara?" Deidara nodded and smiled. "It's a lot better, thanks, un." He said, and Itachi nodded. "Good." Turning to Konan, he asked, "Can we please be informed on the transport of the tour?" In return, Konan nodded. "What does it matter?" Hidan asked. Then he flinched as Kakuzu smooshed a napkin in his face.

"OWW! What the bogging hell…" "Will you please wipe your mouth. That looks positively nauseating." Kakuzu replied coldly with a smirk, going back to reading his papers. Hidan stood up and flipped him off. "Jerk!!" he said, and he was pulled down to his chair by Itachi. "Settle down, Hidan. And it does matter, because Tobi gets carsick sometimes, you get sun-burnt easily, and Deidara is partial to taking trains. I'm not crazy about air travel either, but we have no choice." He said, and Hidan nodded. "Right. Ok." He said, and Kakuzu rolled his eyes. This albino kid was pretty dense.

Sasori browsed his tour booklet as Konan started. "Well, bus rides are only for towns less than or about a day apart… most of it will be stationary because we only have about 5 destinations in which we'll perform a few gigs in various venues. We'll either sleep in a hotel, or on the trailers." Pein took over, "And if we're staying on trailers, we've decided to allow one member from each team share a trailer together. So Kisame and Itachi will have to be together to write a joint song, which Konan will talk to you about later, and Zetsu, you and Tobi share a trailer."

Itachi nodded, and Kisame grinned. Tobi saluted. "No arguments here!!" Zetsu grunted in response.

"Hidan, Kakuzu, you guys to one, and Sasori and Deidara, you guys to one." Konan was about to continue, but Hidan interrupted, "HANG ON JUST ONE DAMNED MINUTE!! I am not sharing a trailer with this guy. I can hardly believe I'm still sitting next to him right now!!" he yelled, and Kakuzu flipped the page of his papers. "I don't care." He said blatantly, and Konan looked at Sasori and Deidara. Deidara blinked. "Un… I'm… fine with that, un." He said, after shooting Hidan a look. "But… what about Hi-chan??" Konan rolled her eyes. "We're putting them together because they need to learn to get along. When they do, we'll see. Sasori?" she asked, and Sasori nodded. "I'm fine with Deidara." He replied, and Konan clapped.

"Yosh. Hidan, Kakuzu, we're counting on you not to kill each other." She said, and Hidan yelled, "Why didn't you just put me with someone else, then?!!" Pein rolled his eyes and spoke to Kakuzu in hushed tones. "Kakuzu, this one is hot tempered. You don't have the highest tolerance out of all of us, but you know how do deal with situations quickly and effectively… I'm leaving this kid to you." He sighed, and Kakuzu nodded, slightly annoyed. Konan blatantly ignored Hidan's protests and continued, "The trailers will have hired drivers, and there's a door which separates your space from his. So don't worry, you guys will have your own space."

Deidara smiled at Sasori and Hidan glared at Kakuzu. "Privacy's the least of my worries." He muttered, finishing off his ice cream.

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Please Review.


	3. Chapter 3

The song isn't mine, it's KaitoXMiku on youtube, and the song is called Cantarella. There's a link provided.

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Hidan shifted in his wide and plush seat, next to Deidra. They were flying Business. The company wanted to get them Gold, but in the end, Itachi said Business would do because Gold was too luxurious. It was ridiculous, paying an extra grand to have a fancy dinner you can't pronounce, slightly more legroom, and a foiled after-dinner mint. The rest agreed, not really caring much as long as they got to America.

"Hey, Deidara." Hidan poked his friend. Deidara looked up as him, pausing the game on his PSP. "Yeah, un?" he replied, and Hidan pointed subtly to the redhead named Sasori from before. "He's pretty cute, huh." Hidan grinned, and Deidara flushed. He grabbed Hidan's collar. "SHHH, un!!" he said, and Hidan started laughing. Tobi had the window seat, head banging to a song on his Ipod touch. Itachi had switched seats with Sasori so that he sat next to Kisame, and was asking him about their band song writing and lyric style. They were actively engaged in conversation, like Pein and Konan. Hidan grinned at Deidara, who scrowled. Deidara was thankful Sasori had his earphones on.

"Shh, un. It's gonna go away anyway, it's just a small… sight crush, un." Deidara said, and Hidan wrinkled his nose. "Sight crush??" he asked, and Deidra nodded, grinning. "A crush on sight, un." He said, and Sasori started playing an imaginary piano. He turned back to Hidan. "Either way, un, sight crushes usually go away really, really fast, un." He said, grinning, and Hidan sighed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever, Deidara. Wanna game?" Hidan asked. Deidara nodded, switching on their in flight entertainment. But secretly, Hidan was thinking about something completely off.

He'd just been thinking how far Akaku had come, and how he'd found the past couple of years to be the best f his entire life. He hadn't yet realized just how grateful he was to be art of Itachi's little group. 'If Itachi never found me, which was a very high chance in the first place, I would have still been in _that_ place.' He thought, and then his eyes swiveled to Deidara and Tobi, on his other side. 'They, too, must be pretty happy to be in this band.' Hidan blinked as Deidara started up a game, thinking and playing at the same time.

3 years ago, Itachi had still been trapped, as he liked to say, within his family name. the Uchiha family name was renowned for musicians, specializing in orchestral and classical music. They owned several companies selling musical instruments and some of them offer music lessons as well. All Uchiha members were expected to be gifted in music, and if at the age of 15 they hadn't found an instrument they specialized in, they would be harshly asked to move to a rural family branch in Kyoto. Itachi had never approved of this tradition.

When he was 15, Itachi had been with his school on a school trip. Hidan, when he was very young, only a few months old, had been cruelly abandoned in a neighborhood orphanage. Itachi happened to be going to the orphanage to perform with his school mates, who were handpicked by the school's director according to their talent. Hidan was only 14 then, his birthday had not yet passed.

"_Alright, these fine young musicians will now perform for you." The smug teacher said, and Hidan snorted loudly. "Stop saying it like you're so damn great, bastard!!" he said, and the teacher looked at him in distaste. The orphanage caretaker immediately made her way over to him to tell him off. Hidan grinned. "None of these guys are doing it because they like it. That's the saddest damn part." He said smugly. He had come to the right conclusion, and several of the performing students gave him a slightly surprised and respectful look. The children had glared at the caretaker as she tried to make her way to grab Hidan out of the crowd, and several refused to budge. Hidan was clearly the leader of the other children._

_The teacher cleared his throat. "Itachi kun." He called, and a boy with long raven black hair in a low ponytail and red eyes stepped out of the uniformed boys on stage. He looked like a bishonen prince in his black uniform with their school emblem sewn on with gold thread. "This boy is a Uchiha. He's…" "Don't refer to me like that." The boy said. The teacher twitched. "Excuse me?" he repeated._

_Itachi tightened his grip on his instrument case visibly, and Hidan saw it. Even a village orphan like Hidan knew who the Uchiha's were. Their instruments were known for both quality and style, and their unique sounds were amazingly clear. He thought Itachi would be snobby or uptight, but he decided to wait and see. "Don't refer to me as 'a Uchiha'. It's both insulting and irritating." Itachi said, taking out his instrument. Hidan's eyes widened. _

_It was a violin._

"_I…" Itachi glared at the teacher, before turning to the children, to whom he smiled. "…will show you what I can do when I'm not a Uchiha." Poised to make some music, he shut his eyes and recalled his scores from memory. He began to play._

_The tune was insanely difficult to play, but somehow, he managed to pull it all off on his own. Then he began to sing._

Link to Video and Music: [ .com/watch?v=0hih0sEhR0w]

mitsu me au sono shisen toji ta sekai no naka  
kidu kanai furiwoshitemo yoi wo satora resou

_Hidan didn't know if he'd ever heard music so clear. Almost… familiar._

yake tsuku kono kokoro kakushi te chikadu ite  
toiki kanji reba shibire ruhodo

_He too, shut his eyes. He'd heard this before._

arifureta koigokoro ni ima wana wo shikake te  
wazuka na sukima nimo ashi ato nokosa naiyo

_Itachi smiled at Hidan. 'You know this song.' He communicated to Hidan with his eyes.  
_

mie sui ta kotoba dato kun ha yudan shiteru  
yoku shitta gekiyaku nara nomihose ru kiga shita

_Hidan smiled as he recognized the tune. He did know it._

sabi tsuku kusari kara nogare ruatemo nai  
hibiku byoushin ni aragau hodo

_He'd played it once, in the piano version._

tatoeba fukai shigemi no naka suberi koma sete  
tsunai da ase no kaori ni tada okasa resou

_Cantarella. Hidan watched Itachi pull off the instrumental perfectly._

arifureta koigokoro ni ima wana wo shikake ru  
wazuka na sukima nozoke ba

'_Tsukama ete.'_

tsukama ete!!

_Hidan allowed his mind to wander in the music._

tatoeba fukai shigemi no naka suberi koma sete  
tsunai da ase no kaori ni tada okasa reteru

_As the song came to a close, Hidan's eyes opened and found the other orphans looking at him. Slowly, they began to clap. Hidan finally joined in, name clapping. The teacher, although slightly agitated at Itachi's apparent dislike to have such an over the top family name backing him up, was impressed as well, and smirking at Hidan, he pronounced clearly, "Brilliant as usual, Itachi kun." Hidan grit his teeth._

_Itachi bowed to the children, ignoring his teachers words. The other students had not yet taken their instruments out of their cases. The caretaker coughed. "Actually," she said, smiling a fake smile at the children, "We have __our own musical genius in the orphanage. He didn't have anything to learn but old songbooks donated from various musical orientated schools.__" She s__aid, smiling. As the teacher began to protest, Itachi nodded. "Please allow that person to play something for us?" he said._

_The children prodded Hidan. Hidan's friend whispered, "Put that bastard in his place!!", referring to the snobby teacher. Hidan stood up, making his way to their orphanage piano. The teacher laughed, amused that it was this kid who was apparently, supposed to be 'musically talented'. "What do you guys want??" he asked the children. One of them shouted, "That Original Sound Track from that anime!!"_

_Hidan smiled. "Doubt and trust? Or Musician? There are a lot I've played for you." The boy thought about it and said, "Um… the one you played a couple of days ago when Kiri twisted her ankle to cheer her up?" Hidan flushed. Then he cleared his throat and smiled. "D… Doubt and Trust, then."_

_Hidan shut his eyes and laid his fingers on the keys, smiling fondly as he too, recalled the notes like Itachi had done earlier. Doubt and trust was a difficult piano entry to play, and he had to tune everything else out.'  
__Hidan heard everything. From the shuffling of feet to soft breath. He heard it all. 'Focus on the scales, 2 octaves to the right. Begin.'_

_He played insanely fast, this fingers becoming a blur from afar. He did everything right, noting even the lightest push on the pedal. His eyes were opened, watching his own fingers, which seemed foreign and unfamiliar, dance a beautiful song across the room. The children had their eyes closed, and Hidan played for them, happy and approaching what he liked to call 'There', this awesome place where his music just filled the air, and he was just in his element._

_He loved it in 'There'._

_After the entire excursion was over, Itachi had approached the silver haired boy. "Hidan, right?" he asked, and Hidan nodded, slightly wary. Itachi held out his hand. "I'm 15 now, and when I'm 16, I'm going to abandon my house with my cousin and form a band. Will you join me then, Hidan?" he asked._

_Hidan stared at him. This was the first time he was asked by someone else to follow them. He looked at the kids, and then at Itachi. "You can still see them on occasion, I assure you." Itachi said, reading his body language.  
__Hidan grinned and he took Itachi's hand. "I will. Then you better keep your promise, bastard."_

And Itachi did. Hidan was jerked back to attention as Deidara called out, "Woah, Hidan, un!!! Top score, it beat your old one back in Japan, un!!" Hidan looked blankly at the screen. He was so absorbed in his thoughts about the past, but he'd been gaming this whole time? "Maybe I'm was schizophrenic." Hidan thought, laughing. Deidara X-ed the game. "Wanna go again, un?" he asked. Hidan shook his head. "My legs are cramped as hell…" Hidan moved, realizing it was true, "I think I'll go walk around for a bit." He said, and he left.

* * *

"…zu. Kakuzu!!"

Kakuzu shook his head. "Yeah, Zetsu?" he asked. Zetsu shook his head. "What is up with you, man. You alright? You looks a little green. Airsick?" he asked, and Kakuzu nodded. "Yeah, yeah… I think I just need to chill. I'm going to take a walk." Zetsu nodded and moved as Kakuzu walked out into the walkway. "Going to be a short walk, Kakuzu. See you." Zetsu smiled a sad smile. Kakuzu felt a little guilty leaving Zetsu since they were always hanging out together, but he nodded. "I'll be back soon." He said. He disappeared through the door frame.

His arms were feeling slightly retarded, he came realize, as he threw one out over the heads of several sleeping passengers. And also, he realized some people couldn't sleep in a dignified manner… a couple were sleeping in the weirdest position. Their hands were thrown across each other and their legs were entangled… Kakuzu looked away. Oh. He flushed as he got it.

Moving on, then.

He proceeded down to the back end f the plane, stopping as he came to a break between the rows and rows of seats. He leaned against the wall, holding the back of his hand to his mouth, frowning. Though bearable, Kakuzu had an annoying tendency to get slightly airsick whenever he travelled by plane. Composing himself, he continued onward. He fixed his tie, tugging on it softly.

Kakuzu and Zetsu came in uniform, black suits that made them look grown up, much more than they were, and more professional. He had worn a silky brown tie, and Zetsu wore an army green one. Both sported black shoes, and Kakuzu had his mask on. After_ that _accident, he disliked appearing in public without something to hide the permanent stitches on his face, even if they weren't too he'd changed it to something like Kakashi's mask, that man who taught professional Kendo, Akido and Karate, he had one that was left dangling. It was easy to yank off, and Kakuzu had changed it because of that. Pein approved more of his current masks, because they didn't look as drab as before. Kisame and Sasori were in more casual clothes, considering their band status. Punk goth kids. Kakuzu sighed. Some people just didn't care about their image anymore.

Kakuzu inhaled deeply as he staggered slightly, catching onto one of the chairs nearby. The girl in it cursed, then looked up and squealed. Yes, Kakuzu moved on, having gotten used to such reactions. His sight grew slightly heavy, so when some guy and him walked into each other on accident, he couldn't totally blame that person as usual. "OWW!!" Kakuzu looked at the boy on top of him.

Oh god. Of all people, did it have to be Hidan??

"What the hell, man!!" Hidan said, sprawled on top of Kakuzu. He got up, one leg in between Kakuzu's, and his hands on either side of Kakuzu's head. Kakuzu's eyes widened. Hidan's lip was bleeding. "How did tha…" "It got hit on one of the chairs, moron!!" Hidan ranted, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand. When they realized how close they were, both flushed full on, even though neither made the move to sit away from the other. Then Kakuzu's hand shot to his mouth again, and he retched. Hidan's eyes widened now.

"H… hey. Are you ok?" Hidan asked, and Kakuzu winced. Sitting up, he held Hidan a slight distance away from his face. Hidan's hand held Kakuzu's shoulder as a stewardess rushed to help. "May I help you…" Hidan growled. "No, you should have asked that when you saw him standing in the seat break previously like I said. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened." He said. Kakuzu looked at Hidan.

"You saw that?" he asked, slightly surprised. Another flush ran across Hidan's face, then he crossed his arms and stood up, Kakuzu mirroring his movement. "Yeah, and you looked like a pale shit." He said. Kakuzu laughed and nodded. Hidan hit his back lightly, saying, "It's not funny!! You shouldn't even have been moving if you knew this would happen." Hidan held out his hand. Kakuzu stared at it for a minute before Hidan rolled his eyes and sighed irritably. Grabbing Kakuzu's hand, he stomped them back to the business class seating area, where he pushed Kakuzu down into his seat.

Turning to Zetsu, he spoke, "Could you please make sure he doesn't get out till we touch down again?" Zetsu frowned for a minute with confusion, then he nodded, seeing Kakuzu look out of the window and his pale face. Hidan sat back of the down.

After a couple of boring and restless hours, Kakuzu fell asleep. Hidan watched as Zetsu threw a blanket over him carelessly, before leaning back into his own chair to sleep as well. Almost all of them were asleep, Itachi, Sasori, even Deidara… Hidan sighed. He was kind of bored. And somehow, his thoughts just kept straying back to Kakuzu, and how dizzyingly close they were before.

'STOP!!' he told himself, confused. 'You're not gay… you just met a girl back in Tokyo!!' true, but Hidan sighed as he couldn't recall anything but her name. Not her hair, her facial features, or what she was wearing. But Kakuzu… Hidan could even remember how he smelt, not to mention his hair, eyes and clothes. 'Dammit.' Hidan thought, looking over at Kakuzu. He called over a girl and asked her for several Asprin. She came back with 2 tablets, and Hidan nodded. "Thank you." He remembered to add, and she smiled.

Hidan walked over to Kakuzu and dropped the Asprin on the table, which had the papers folded into a neat stack on it. 'That should do.' He thought, walking back to his seat satisfied.

'A sight crush.' He assured himself silently. 'Only a sight crush.' It was only then he fell into a slightly more peaceful sleep, like the rest.

* * *

Please Review.  
Thanks to all who did!! You're really helping me with the story progress!! ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Zetsu happens to have photographic memory, Tobi likes bacon sandwiches. Zetsu seems to have a sight crush on a very oblivious Tobi??

* * *

Tobi stared absently out of the window, and sighed. It was late afternoon, five or six. The rest of the guys seemed to be conked out, sleeping. He turned to look at Hidan, who was shifting restlessly in his sleep. Deidara had his head on Sasori's shoulder, and Sasori had his head on Deidara's head. Tobi grinned. He didn't think e was going to make any effort to change that.

Itachi and Kisame were sleeping too, in more dignified manners, though. Kisame had his standard position, head on fist, and Itachi had his arms crossed. In front of them, Zetsu and Kakuzu were leaning away from each other and sleeping. Well, Kakuzu was definitely sleeping. Tobi remembered Hidan tossing a couple of Asprin on the foldable table before he took to sleeping himself, and grinned. Hidan wasn't as cold or unfeeling as he wanted to be. Tobi wondered, however, if Kakuzu would get better as time passed. Maybe his airsick problem would be gone when he woke up. Tobi wasn't sure about Zetsu because he shifted slightly, but maybe that just meant he was having a little nightmare or something.

Pein and Konan were still talking, but they were rows away.

Tobi softly retrieved his bag from under Hidan's chair and took out a message pad. Leaning back, he wondered what he had to report now. Sending a letter would be too much trouble. Maybe he should buy a prepaid and message in America. It would certainly be faster. And Email was good, too. 'But first…' Tobi bit the cp of the pen and nibbled on it as he drafted out his message. 'Got to see what's necessary for him to know. If I withhold or give to little or much information, I might be either called back to the house or taken advantage of.' He put on a sad smile.

He drafted out clearly,

_Uchiha sama. How are you, I am well. So is Itachi san and the others._

'Ok, that was good.' Tobi thought, sticking the cap of the pen to the end of it and continuing.

_So far, I have been briefed by our band manager, Konan, on some vague details of a tour we are currently on. I assure you, we only received notification of the tour yesterday. This information was not intentionally kept from you, unless it was intentionally kept from us as well._

Tobi sighed. What a pain it was to be formal.

_We're currently touring in America, with another band by the name of Tsukisa. Maybe you've heard about them from Sasuke kun. I heard he enjoys listening to this band. Either way, it's a 2 month long tour, I believe._

'That's what I heard…' Tobi thought, his head clunking against the glass as he stared out to the gradually darkening sky. Sighing, he continued.

_During the tour, I'll contact you via Email when possible, and keep you updated on the situation. If I'm able to obtain a prepaid card, I'll use that to message or even call, if absolutely necessary._

Tobi sighed. That was about it. He didn't know much more, and he didn't want to let go of all he had.

_Hope you're well, Tobi._

_Ps,_

Tobi wondered if he should.

_Ps, maybe it's time you told Itachi san you were concerned for him, and tracking him yourself. I'm sure he won't accept it in a bad way._

Tobi stared at the sentence. Inhaling deeply, he scrawled over it, capping the pen and twirling it expertly. 'Uchiha sama has only allowed me to go

because he wants me to keep an eye on Itachi san. Although I owe him, deceiving Itachi san is gradually getting harder.' Tobi nibbled his thumbnail in amusement. Was he getting soft? How funny.

Deidara stirred slightly. Tobi flipped his notebook shut and slipped it back into the bag, tossing the pen in as well, but Deidara simply went back to

sleep. Tobi sighed in relief as he sat up, facing the window. "It's going to be awhile on this plane, huh…" he whispered, and he took out his Ipod, putting it on shuffle and plugged one of his ears. Even though it had been purely spying in the beginning, Tobi found himself gradually growing closer to the band, and now, he actually felt like he was one of them.

"Um… Tobi kun, right?"

Tobi looked up. It was… er… Zetsu. Tsukisa's drummer. "Yeah… although we should do without the formalities if we're going to be working together." Tobi said, smiling. Zetsu scratched the back of his head. "Aren't you tired, Tobi? Everyone else is knocked out." He said, and Tobi considered this, cocking his head. "Well, you don't seem to be tired either, huh?" he replied, and Zetsu smiled. "I guess not." He offered his hand to Tobi.

"Join me for a drink in the lounge? We're allowed in there."

Tobi took his hand and smiled. "Thanks." His Ipod was left under his bag as it slid down the smooth leather. Tobi stuck his leg in between Deidara's and Sasori's carry on bags and stepped over Sasori's outstretched feet. Zetsu grunted, pulling him into the walkway. Tobi stretched a little , throwing out his arms and rotating his ankles.

They made their way toward the room a couple of space breaks from the cockpit, taking to one of the tables. "You want to drink something?" Zetsu asked, and Tobi looked at the paper menu with gold imprints. He nodded, and Zetsu called someone over. He placed his order of a beverage, and Tobi ordered a sandwich and a soda. Zetsu stared blankly out of the windows as their orders arrived. Tobi smiled at the woman and she walked away, blushing. Tobi could be really annoying at times with his "I'm a good boy" theory, but he had an extremely cute grin, and if he felt like it, he could be very, very sexy. Zetsu looked at Tobi for a minute, and laughed. Tobi looked up at him.

"What?" he asked, amused. Zetsu shook his head, "No, it's nothing. Eat up."

Tobi picked up his plate and scrutinized the crusts before taking a corner of the bacon sandwich and chewing on it contentedly. Zetsu watched Tobi, who was humming 'The Great Escape' as he chewed. He took his cup of black coffee and sipped carefully, shaking his head as someone popped by to ask if they needed anything. Tobi smiled at Zetsu, and after a while, Zetsu shifted. "Why are you staring at me?" he asked.

Tobi pouted. Zetsu found this incredibly childish, and adorable. "I am not." he replied in a mock huff, taking another mouthful of his sandwich. Zetsu laughed, and set is cup back down. "Clearly, Tobi kun, you don't understand the meaning of staring. It's a motion whereby you stare at someone for a longer period of time than necessary, causing them discomfort." Zetsu smiled, and Tobi laughed. "Well, Zetsu san, you were feeling uncomfortable?" he positioned his elbows on his knees and smirked at Zetsu with his head on his fists. Zetsu leaned backwards and looked to his left, not replying.

Tobi sighed and leaned back again. "We should lose the formalities." He said, winking at Zetsu. Zetsu smiled and sipped is coffee, relaxing again. "Yes, we should." Tobi smiled at him. Moving a seat closer, he asked Zetsu, "Can I ask you a weird question?" Zetsu blinked. "Erm. Sure?" he replied uncertainly. Tobi laughed. "Ok, you know the Great Escape opening?" Zetsu nodded. "What about it??" he asked. Tobi opened his legs, positioned so that it was as if he was playing an imaginary drum set.

"Well, I was wondering if it was something like dum, dum, dumdumdumdumdum, dum, dum dumdum dum zee-tak, or if there was an extra one count beat in between the 2 separate riffs." He asked, and Zetsu mirrored his actions, trying it out as he remembered. Then, after the second try, he shook his head.

"No, no, I think you're right. Dum, dum, dumdumdumdumdum, dum, dum dumdum dum zee-tak is right." Tobi smiled. "Ok, good." He finished off his sandwich. Still only halfway through his coffee, Zetsu unconsciously took in memory shots of Tobi. Tobi pouting. Snap. Tobi grinning. Click. Tobi teasing him. Double snap click.

"… su?"

Zetsu looked at Tobi. "Sorry?" he asked, and Tobi assumed Kisame's favorite pose, his arm on the armrest and his head on his fist. "Man, Zetsu, you should listen to me!!" he said, grinning teasingly, and Zetsu felt a chill. He massaged his neck, replying, "S… Sorry. What was that?" he asked again. Tobi smiled and said, "I said, could you teach me how to play the chorus for American Idiot?"

Zetsu smiled. "American Idiot? The Great Escape? You're not very up front on the music, are you…" he said, and Tobi sat back, flushed. Great. Zetsu's memory snapped that up like an afternoon snack. His photographic memory really disturbed him, sometimes. "Well, I don't like a lot of the music we get around this time. Only some of it's meaningful. That's why I'm thankful Itachi can write such great songs." Tobi said, looking at Zetsu, a tinge of pink still on his face. Zetsu nodded.

"I totally get it. The music nowadays can get extremely superficial." He said, and Tobi nodded. He looked thoughtful.

'This boy could be a problem for me.' Zetsu thought, chewing his lip, and finishing his black coffee.

* * *

Please Review? I know the chapter was shorter than usual, and I'm sorry.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! You've given me so much encouragement and inspiration, please continue to help me along ^^

Ok, I got the POV's very screwed up in this chapter. At first, it started out fine, but later on, Tobi and Zetsu's POV's kind of got mixed up T.T

NOT intentional. Sorry. That's why there's no break between either POV's.

See you soon :D


	5. Chapter 5

SPECIAL!! Pein and Konan's Mixed POV's.

Sorry this came in late, I was working halfway on the 5th chapter, which was back to Itachi and Kisame's POV, but then I remembered that I a back up story on Pein and Konan ^^ So I'm going to put it in here :D  
Cool? Ok, good. So, back to it.

* * *

'I'm currently on a plane. I'm taking care of 4 teenage boys. I'm heading to America, somewhere I've only been to once in my life. We could easily get lost. Oh, and by the way, we only knew about this tour a day ago. Plus, I happen to be sitting across my childhood crush, who's as enticing and sexily mysterious as ever.'

Konan sighed.

'Today… is the longest day of my life.'

Pein frowned as he overlooked the transport documents again. Turning to Konan, he mentioned, "It still doesn't say how we're making our way from Philadelphia to New York City. That's our final stop. The new York gig is the most important, this needs to be smoothed out as soon as possible." He said. Konan shook herself a little and nodded. "Yes, I understand. But we do have a hint that it'll either be by trailer or transit plane." She said.

Pein nodded, and sipped his drink. Konan popped a chocolate in her mouth, and continued sorting through their documents. "I could hardly believe it. I thought that being a band manager was my dream. I could hardly believe it was you I'm going to work with for the next 2 months." She muttered, and Pein nodded. "It's been pretty long." He commented, and Konan smiled. 'Damn right.' She thought.

"_What??" Konan whispered. Pein nodded, looking away._

"_My parents are sending me away. They think I'm too much for them, and they're sending me to a military camp in Sapporo." He said emotionlessly. Konan's eyes grew wide, and she began to cry. "No, no no no…" her hands turned to fists and she shook. Pein turned to her and smiled._

"_Stupid." He said, "Why are you crying??"_

_He turned to her and hugged her. Konan's nails dug into his back and his arms held her firmly. Konan sobbed harder as she felt the wetness on Pein's cheek. But when he pulled away, his face was dry. He pulled a flower from a branch and tucked it into her hair. Lifting a stray lock of her blue hair, he held it gently. "I like your hair color like this. Far better than any girl with blonde or pink or purple and rainbow hair. You're prettiest." He said softly, and Konan covered her face, crying. Pein turned and left._

"_Keep that flower in your hair." He said, and Konan wiped her tears.  
_"_WHY?!" she called after him. He hauled his bag onto one shoulder and smiled a discreet smile at her.  
_"_Because I want you to." He called back, and she stood still as the bus passed by, not waving._

_Not saying goodbye._

She fiddled with the flower in her hair. Pein hadn't said anything about it. Konan could only assume that he'd forgotten all about it. But it was a look that had grown on her. She still had her hair dyed blue, and a white flower in her hair. She'd decided to get a piercing done on her lip, but she only had one. She sighed. Her code color was black and blue, so she had on a black dress with blue details, and dark blue jeans under, laces openings. With boots, of course.

Pein was wearing a white work shirt that had 2 of its top buttons undone, with black work pants. He had taken off his tie and tux jacket, which had chains and the like hanging from his breast pocket to his shoulder. He had a pair of silver tinted frameless specs, and a black hat that made him look like a pimp with a vengeance. It had a silver fabric band around it.

Konan gulped. 'He looks really... Really hot.'

Pein looked up. "Tobi get's carsick." He said flatly. "Will this be a problem?" he asked, and Konan shook her head. "He has pills for that, I made sure he packed them in. enough to last." She replied, and Pein nodded. He organized several of the documents, and turned to the stewardess as she walked past. "Hey, can you get me another Irish baileys, please." He requested, and she nodded, flushed. Konan sighed. Of course girls would get that from Pein. While his face was scary, and his piercings were apparent, he had a very handsome face, and a fit build.

Stapling a small stack of documents together, he lay them on the table. "All done!" he yawned, and Konan nodded. "Yes." She said, and she turned to the side. Watching the stewardess come back with her skirt inched slightly higher, and her make up redone. Konan rolled her eyes as she placed the glass on the table, whispering seductively in Pein's ear, and trying to hand him a card with her number on it. Pein smiled at her, and took the card. Konan sighed as she watched this.

Then Pein tore the card up. Konan's eyes widened. He pulled the girl's sleeve and she jerked downward. "Hey ugly. You better pull your skirt right, and you better stop taking like you got a sore throat. Your number's not what I need. Now back off." He said, and the stewardess walked away, stunned. Konan looked at him for a moment, and then she began to laugh. Pein cracked a smile.

"Now then." He looked at her. "Let's get you something proper to eat." He took her chocolates and dropped them in her bag. She sighed and nodded "Alright." She requested something off the menu, and after the stewardess left, he leaned in and whispered, "You're the prettiest."

It was all Konan could do to keep from crying.

Call it a childlike expression of happiness.

* * *

Please Review?

Sorry it was so short, but i only have awhile to work with this thing. My computer is dying on me, and my internet sucks. Go figure =="  
Thanks for all of your encouragement, please give me your support!!

Next chapter with be Itachi's and Kisame's POV's.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the encouragement!! Please guide me, cause i'm still a noob in writing fan fiction =="  
Anyway, back to this.

* * *

When Itachi woke up for the second time since he tried sleeping, he saw Kisame sitting next to him, staring out of the window absently. When he shifted, Kisame turned his head toward him, and Itachi whispered, "Why aren't you sleeping??" Kisame laughed. "I don't know… Couldn't sleep, I suppose." He replied, and Itachi turned to look at the others.

'Sasori and Deidara might wake up soon,' Itachi decided, and Hidan was already awake, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Tobi was missing. Kakuzu was sleeping soundly, and Zetsu was nowhere to be found, too. He briefly wondered if they were together. Sleepily, Itachi leaned on the armrest between his and Kisame's seat, the wire of the remote control making a slight imprint on his skin. Kisame turned and gently combed his fingers in Itachi's hair. Slightly annoyed, Itachi shook his hair free, and Kisame laughed.

'Weird.' Itachi thought, rolling his eyes at Kisame. Then he smiled. 'But he's nice. I didn't Really mind, when he touched my hair.'

Kisame leaned closer to the window and turned to Itachi for a second. "Hey, come over here." He said, beckoning to Itachi. Curious, Itachi leaned over. Kisame pulled him closer and he pointed out of the window. Itachi's eyes widened. "Wow…" he whispered, and Kisame nodded. "That's insane inspiration, right there." He said, and he smiled at Itachi. Itachi looked at him for a moment, before turning back to look at the sunset.

Streaks of red, pink, yellow and orange chased each other across the sky. Clouds were seen both scattered and in clusters, and the sun was just the centerpiece of the picture. The abstract effect the clouds had on the scene was simple amazing. Itachi smiled. It was awesome.

"I think that we're touching down soon." Kisame said, frowning. Itachi jerked slightly, realizing one of his hands were on Kisame's knee. He flushed, and sat back in his seat, though his eyes never strayed from the window. Or Kisame. 'Stop thinking about it.' Itachi chided himself, and he nodded. "I guess, if we're flying low enough to see that…" Itachi replied, and Kisame nodded. "We've reached really early. Ahead of time. And that's not really normal." Kisame said, laughing. Itachi smiled and closed his eyes for a moment as he nodded. "Yes."

It turned to evening.

Kisame scratched the back of his head as Itachi chewed on a pencil, scribbling a line off. Kisame poked Itachi on his upper arm. "You want to get something to eat?" he asked, and Itachi considered it for a moment. "You mean order?" he asked. Kisame shook his head. "Last I checked, we're allowed into a lounge between the Gold and Business class seats." He thought aloud, and Itachi tied his hair into a low ponytail. "Ok, then, let's go. Maybe Tobi and Zetsu are there." He said, and Kisame nodded. They made their way to the lounge.

"Hey, Zetsu. Tobi." Kisame said, and Itachi's vision followed his. Tobi and Zetsu were sitting in a couple of window seats, looking like they were discussing drum riffs. Zetsu nodded them over, and Tobi gave them a jaunty wave. Kisame and Itachi sat with them, and Kisame waved a waitress over. He smiled at her, and she returned it. "Um… can I get a… Chef's salad, and a 7-up." He said, and the waitress nodded. Itachi browsed the menu and said, "I just want a coke float." "Vanilla ice cream?" the waitress asked. Itachi stared at her. "Isn't it always vanilla?" he asked, and she shrugged. "Ok, so a coke float with vanilla ice cream, a chef's salad, and a 7-up. Anything for you 2?" she asked Zetsu and Tobi. Zetsu shook his head. Tobi smiled. "We're good." He said.

As the waitress walked away, Zetsu turned back to Tobi, who said, "So, wait… dum, dumdum tak, dumdumdum tak, dumdumdum tak, dum zee dum tak." He mirrored, and Zetsu nodded. "You learn very fast." He commented, and Tobi grinned. He scratched he back of his head and grinned. "Ha ha, thanks." Itachi smiled, and Kisame grinned.

"So this was what you guys were doing?" he asked, and Zetsu nodded. "It got boring when everyone else was sleeping. Except Pein and Konan san, but they were discussing transport." He said, and Tobi nodded. "Hidan popped out like a light after he threw Kakuzu to Zetsu." He chirped, and Itachi frowned. Kisame cocked his head. "What??" he asked, and Zetsu shook his head. "Kakuzu got airsick again, and he whammed into Hidan, who bought him straight back to his seat and asked me to make sure he doesn't walk about again till he's stable." He informed, and Kisame laughed. "He whammed into Hidan?" Itachi smiled. Turning to Tobi, he asked, "But Hidan's alright, yes?"

Tobi nodded. "Yes sir!" he said, saluting. Itachi smiled. "Good."

Kisame shifted his legs so that their order could be set down on the table, and Itachi took to his coke float, nodding to Tobi, who asked the if the float was good. 'He really cares for his band mates.' Kisame smiled, stabbing at a cherry tomato. Itachi looked at him for a second. 'Wonder what he was thinking.' The younger boy thought, eating a spoon of Vanilla ice cream. Kisame smiled at Itachi, who felt a fleeting flush, before it went away. "Sasori and Deidara have been sleeping for a long time, hey." Zetsu said, his vision straying to the Business class room. Itachi nodded, and Tobi laughed. "Deidara fell asleep on Sasori's shoulder." Itachi smiled. "I saw that."

Zetsu looked away for a second. Kisame laughed with Tobi, and then he sipped his 7-up. Itachi smiled. "Hang on a sec…" he said, frowning. Kisame looked out of the window. "Holy shi…" he began, and then the plane jerked. Itachi let go of his glass and it crashed on the floor, spilling its contents with a few other plates and glasses around the lounge. Shouts and screams erupted from behind the door, and the stewardesses were holding onto whatever they could catch onto. One of them landed directly across Tobi's lap.

Suddenly slightly angry for unknown reasons, Tobi stood up and the stewardess rolled onto the floor. As the announcement of a turbulence sounded, Tobi said coldly to her, "I'm not sure that was entirely accidental." She looked away from him, kneeling on the floor as she grabbed Itachi's armrest till the turbulence was over. Itachi inched far away from his right armrest. Kisame and Zetsu were laughing. A lot.

Itachi smiled at Tobi, and said, "Calm down, Tobi. Grab onto a solid fixture before you injure yourself." Tobi looked at Itachi before calming down and sitting back down in his seat, hanging on to one of the armrests somberly. The stewardess wobbled away slowly. As she tried to grasp the emergency phone, Itachi's eyes widened as her foot slipped and she fell with a cry. 'She's going to hit the glass!' Itachi thought.

He got off his chair and slipped himself, his knees coming down painfully hard on a sharp piece of glass as he pushed her into the break between the doors of the business cabin and the lounge. He hissed, and Kisame immediately pulled him up, shouting "Hey!! Hang on to my arm," because he simply had no idea what else to do. Itachi's knee was bleeding quite badly.

Tobi grew pissed. This stewardess was causing a lot of trouble. Making sure he was stabilized, he made his way over to her, picked her up with his arm behind her, resting firmly on her right shoulder. Dumping her in the Business class room as he made his way back to Itachi. He ripped off his scarf, and handed it to Kisame, who nodded as he wrapped it around the wound. Itachi flushed as Kisame bent his head to blow on his wound. "This might hurt." He said. Quite out of character, Itachi replied hotly, "I'm not a pansy. Just do it."

* * *

Kisame smiled. "Ok."

Kisame, leaning closer to examine the wound, was pretty amused as Itachi seemed to have a personality change. He became hot and bothered, and Kisame was laughing at the prospect of Itachi losing it over his wound. However, as Kisame looked at Itachi's beet-red face, he smiled as he thought, 'I highly doubt it's his wound that's making him lose it.'

He bandaged the wound effectively with Tobi's thin orange scarf, making sure Itachi was back in his seat properly and returning to his shakily. Itachi discreetly nodded his thanks, and Kisame smiled a warm smile, to which Itachi turned his head away from. Tobi was in his seat, laughing as Zetsu was calmly continuing to consume his second black coffee, setting down the dup on the table, whereby the plane jerked again and it almost immediately crashed to the floor. Tobi seemed to find this seemingly hilarious as he laughed again. Itachi smiled as he fingered the orange scarf, smiling a thank you at Tobi.

After a couple more minutes, and few more jerks, the plane righted itself.

An announcement was made over the intercom to apologize to the passengers for the trouble and weather, not that any of them cared to listen to it. Kisame decided he was no longer hungry as he remembered a frightened Itachi clutching his knee firmly, looking at Kisame in alarm. And then Kisame pictured something else, something he decided would be seen as pretty UN-straight, and he discontinued his train of thought.

'But he looks very, very pretty.' Kisame allowed himself to smile, as he took in Itachi's raven black hair and punk gothic clothes. 'Even in clothes like that, he carried off a stylish look.' He looked away as Itachi's gaze dropped to his lap. And then Itachi was saying something, but Kisame didn't hear him. As he stood up, Kisame opened his mouth to ask where he was going.  
And then that happened.

Expected? Maybe. Intentional? Probably not, but Cliché? Yes. Oh, definitely, Yes.

As Itachi stood up, a frenzied 12 year old girl ran into the room, searching for her father and mother. In the process, she bumped into Itachi from behind, and as he winced and gasped in pain, Kisame got up to catch him, knees bent. And well…

They kissed.

It was unmistakable. Itachi's lips had brushed Kisame's, his hands thrown out in front of him carelessly, with Kisame's right arm holding his shoulder. Itachi felt the heat rush to his face, feeling like an ass, and Kisame froze up. Neither made the effort to break the moment. For a second, Itachi began to kiss Kisame, but before Kisame could do anything aside from widen his eyes, Itachi had broken away, walking back to the Business cabin, without a word. Kisame fell back into his seat, slightly stunned.

Zetsu and Tobi were silent. So was everyone else, it seemed. Kisame palmed his face, sighing loudly as he peeked out of the window with one of his fingers. It was now officially night time. 'Why did he have to look so much like…' he glimpsed a star. 'You're being unfair again, aren't you.' He thought angrily at the sky. He stormed out of the room. Zetsu sighed as he palmed his face himself. Tobi looked at him for a moment.

"What's wrong, Zetsu?" he asked, and Zetsu nodded to the exiting Kisame. "Kisame's had some memories. And I'm guessing Itachi's bringing them back." He whispered, and Tobi frowned. "Someone special that looked like Itachi?" he asked seriously. Zetsu looked at Tobi and nodded. "Yes, it would seem so. And the last time, Kisame lost that person when he chose Tsukisa over their relationship. They weren't actually going out, but that person said it was either their friendship or Tsukisa." Tobi blink. "Wait, friendship? I thought you said it was special…" "It was. It was special to Kisame." Zetsu replied flatly.

Tobi nodded. "Oh." He frowned as he understood. Zetsu sighed and glared at the rest of the people in the lounge, who hastily went back to consuming what was left of their food, while flight attendants swarmed the room, clearing up pieces of glass and food on the floor. He hesitated for a moment, before asking Zetsu, "When did this happen?" Zetsu looked at him for a second.

"Roughly 2 weeks ago."

Meanwhile, Kisame was staring at Itachi, who had sat in Zetsu's seat, in front of him, for the time being. He was hunched up into a ball, with his earphones blasting at full volume. He was staring out of the window. Kisame couldn't decide if Itachi was just shocked, or if he was angry at Kisame. He didn't know if he cared. He just knew that he enjoyed it, and he knew it was wrong. He'd liked being kissed by a dude before, and look at where it got him. 'But…' Kisame sighed, running a hand through his dark blue hair, 'I can't help it.' He was frustrated.

It was an accident.  
Just an accident.

'It still doesn't change anything.' Kisame let his head drop back. 'I… I liked it. And he might have…' Kisame remembered Itachi kissing him back a little before he broke away. He wasn't sure if he had truly remembered that, or he had imagined it. Why would Itachi even want to do something like that? He hadn't shown and preference in males.

'Then again,' Kisame reasoned with unjust amusement, 'He hasn't shown any preference to ladies either.' He looked out of the window, his amusement dying as quickly as it came. The stars were more apparent than ever. It seemed they were getting higher again, the turbulence had taken them down a few km, but they were quickly gaining altitude. They would be reaching only tomorrow. He sighed. The hopes of reaching early were obvious fantasies. NO plane would ever reach its destination early. Kisame supposed it was one of those stupid Murphy's Law things.

Itachi wasn't moving. Kisame wondered briefly whether he was sleeping. Then he wondered why he'd wondered at all, and then he told himself to stop thinking, before his eyes strayed to Itachi, and he wondered what it'd be like to hold him properly. 'DAMMIT, STOP IT, YOU FISH HEAD!!' he yelled inwardly, shaking his head as he rested his head on his fist, staring absently out of the window, moving such that he wouldn't be able to look at Itachi again.

'I wonder what Sohma's doing now.' He thought, his eyes getting a little glazed over. Then he looked at Itachi. 'God. I need to get over Sohma.' He thought, shaking his head free of thoughts. Then he looked at Itachi again. 'The matter's resolved. I'll take care of this one. Sohma should leave my mind.' He thought. He turned to the purple clouds, lit by the moon as he glared. 'You're on.' He narrowed his eyes.

Then he leaned back in his chair, thinking about Itachi.

Who was presently, sitting in front of him, his faces buried in his knees, effectively concealing his still flushed face, and a million thoughts zooming through his head.

* * *

Please Review!

Itachi has feelings for Kisame too??!! LOL. OOC. I love writing OOC, but i guess you've guessed that by now ^^'  
Either way, the story's still in early stages ^^  
So, right now i've got a craving for some wine. You know what that means?

Next chapter's coming up soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Special thanks to SasoDeiLover7, LiyahTheDuchess, Black55Widow and Tenichi Shigo for the continuous reviews, and Shadow-Sorceress13 for the super long one ^^  
Thanks for all your encouragement, that's exactly why the story's coming along so quickly ^^  
Ok, back to the story, or you guys will probably maime me… =="

* * *

Sasori jerked awake. He turned slightly, realizing Deidara was sleeping on his shoulder, and he flushed full on before realizing that something must have happened, because everything on the plane was either jerked to somewhere it didn't belong, or shaken up. He looked down at Deidara, who was only half awake as he said softly, "What's going on???"

Sasori chuckled for a moment. It seemed like Deidara was some kind of zombie. He knew that tone. Deidara wasn't going to remember a thing he said or did when he was fully awake. He combed his fingers in Deidara's hair and sighed. "I think it was just a little air turbulence." He said and Deidara looked around for a bit. Then he surprised Sasori further as the blonde snuggled into him, his earphones playing Punk Rock Princess by Something Corporate. Sasori smiled. "I guess…" Deidara muttered, before falling asleep again. Sasori took one of Deidara's earphones and put it in his own ear.

'This song was pretty far back.' He thought, looking at Deidara. 'Wow…' he thought. 'He looks like a girl.' He chuckled, and Deidara shifted, muttering something in his sleep. Sasori sat still for a minute as he watched Deidara's hand release his Ipod. Sasori caught it in time, twirling his fingers in the white wires. He turned the volume up slightly, and restarted the song, bobbing his head to the instrumentals.

_Maybe when the room is empty…  
__Maybe when the bottle's full…  
__Maybe when the door gets broke down,  
__Love can break in…_

'This song is in his favorites list.' Sasori realized, as a stewardess ran past. He hated all these stupid women who flaunted their height, running around in stupid heels. For gods sakes, just because they had the balance to serve a couple of wines on a plane doesn't mean they had the right to think they were better than short people. He rolled his eyes as he thought how stupid that would come across if he ever said it.

Sasori leaned his head on Deidara and put his arm on his shoulder, supporting his back, or he'd get a back ache to match his ankle in the morning.  
Hidan walked past, staring at the two of them. Whispering, he asked Sasori, "What the heck??!" Sasori put a finger on his lips and pointed to Deidara, replying steadily with a curt, "He started it." Hidan shook his head and walked away. Sasori ignored this and mouthed the lyrics.

_Maybe when I'm done with thinking…  
__Maybe you can think me whole…  
__Maybe when I'm done with endings,  
This can begin…_

Sasori looked at Deidara. He turned his head away, refusing to believe the fact that he enjoyed having the younger boy resting on his shoulder, even though he knew it was true. He shut his eyes as he leaned his head on Deidara's, realizing that he was going to have to wake Deidara up soon for dinner, which was bound to be better than normal ticket food, since they were riding business class, after all.

'Why does that disappoint me?' Sasori thought, briefly disturbed. He looked around the cabin for a distraction. A lady with a screaming kid… damn, that was noisy. 'I'm surprised Deidara manages to sleep through all of this.' Sasori thought, chuckling down at the sleeping beauty. Then he mentally smacked himself. 'What the hell, Akasuna.' He thought, using his sir name as a form of scolding. 'You're straight.' He told himself firmly.

Then he thought it over, sighing. 'No you're not,' A little voice contradicted, 'And you've known that for quite a bit now, haven't you, Sasori?' Sasori looked down at Deidara. 'I Can't Goddamn Help It.' He shouted in his mind against the voice, finding it ridiculous he was bothering to reply an imaginary persona in his brain. He registered the song was on pause. Unknowingly, he had put it on pause to focus on the voice in his head. 'Pathetic, Akasuna!!' the voice laughed at him, and he glared at nothing in particular, exasperated as he began playing the music again, hoping that the brief loss of a song wouldn't bring the blonde out of layers and layers of dream.

_This can begin!!  
__This can begin…_

Sasori stared at the blonde. The song was so fitting that he couldn't help but wonder if Deidara was either going to sing it to someone, or was waiting for someone to sing it to him. It was all very confusing, and both option A and b were equally likely, even thought Deidara was a dude.

He flushed. He shouldn't even be thinking these things.  
'Whoa, whoa, Akasuna,' the voice laughed again, 'Try to keep it PG13 in here.' Sasori flushed even darker still, looking down so that no one would see just how red he already was.

_If you could be my Punk Rock Princess,  
__I would be your Garage Band King.  
__You could tell me why you just don't fit in,  
__And how you're gonna be something…_

Sasori laughed darkly, a private joke. 'He's already something.' He thought, stroking the blondes cheek discreetly with the back of his hand. Deidara muttered something, then he was still again. Sasori sincerely could not believe how Deidara was able to sleep through what looked like turbulence, the stewardesses running around on the floor like mice, and the children that had, thankfully, stopped wailing for their parents.

A stewardess came by. This one looked a little more normal, Sasori noted, with an average height, and a pleasant face instead of a snooty one. "Um…" she said, and Sasori nodded, "Yes? I can hear you." He replied, thinking she was worried about repeating herself. She shook her head, and said, "Well, dinner is going to be served soon… Would you mind waking your boyfriend up?" she asked softly, and Sasori looked away for a second. 'DO. NOT. BETRAY. ME, FACE!!' he mentally controlled himself, and when he turned back he hoped he was looking something akin to normal.

"He's not my boyfriend," Sasori said, and the stewardess's eyes widened. She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and tucked it neatly behind her ear, and muttered an apology. Sasori looked at her for a minute and smiled.

"No, it's ok. It's nice to hear it." He replied softly, and she smiled, looking at a stewardess on the other end of the cabin. "I know what you mean." She informed him, and Sasori grinned at her. "You know," he told her, "You made me feel a lot better." She smiled and nodded. "I'm glad. Now, if you could wake your um, friend, for dinner, it would be much appreciated." She said, politely formal again, and Sasori nodded, looking at the blonde for a minute before replying absently with a, "Mm, sure."

_If I could be your first real heart ache,  
__I would do it over again…  
__If you could be my punk rock princess,  
__I would be your heroine._

Sasori switched the Ipod off and put the music on lock. He turned to Deidara, about to wake him up. He twirled the Ipod wires around the silver gadget itself, and tossed it into the blonde open sling bag. He flipped his dark red hair out of his face, and straightened his leather collar, watching how it came right in the reflective screen of the television on the chair in front of him..

Taking one last look at the blonde before waking him up, he whispered, "Well, I'd certainly oblige to being your first heart ache, but I'm pretty skeptical about the heroine bit."

* * *

Deidara blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he registered Sasori in front of him. "God dammit, Deidara, WAKE UP." Sasori emphasized duly, and Deidara gave him a goofy grin. "I'm up, I'm up, un." He replied, and he stretched lightly in his seat. Then he realized Sasori had his arm around him before, and flushed about 40 shades of red. "Um…" he began, pointing to Sasori's arm, which had quickly found it's way back to Sasori's side, "Why were you…"

"Um, dinner's here, Would you like the Grilled Fish Dory, or the Spaghetti Bolognaise?"

Sasori looked up at the stewardess before, and as Deidara looked down at his Ipod and ordered the fish, she shot him a wink. He nodded back gratefully at her, and she left after leaving him with the Spaghetti. "Air plane food," Sasori observed as the steam rose, "…never really looked this good." Deidara laughed. He looked at his Ipod tossed in the bag and shook his head. Whatever. How it got there, whether it flew or someone put it there, Deidara could pretty much guess. He just hoped he didn't do anything embarrassing while he was sleeping.

He requested some salt as a stewardess walked past, and he shook some over the sizzling fish. Sasori had began eating, after the quiet mutter of the usual, "Itadakimasu." Deidara said it too, and tucked in. It was good, he found, very good. Sasori watched him enjoy his food. After awhile, Deidara asked, "Did anything happen while I was asleep, un?" Sasori turned to look at him.

"Well, you were out for about 4 hours… I'd say something might have happened, wouldn't you?" he grinned, and Deidara laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Ah ha ha… I guess so, huh, un… well, what, un?" he said, and Sasori rolled his eyes, laughing. "Well, I heard Hidan and Kakuzu ran into each other literally… Tobi and Zetsu went off to the lounge earlier, Pein and Konan seemed to be up the whole time, and I didn't really focus on Kisame and Itachi. And you slept through a lot, including a turbulence." Sasori added, and Deidara looked around, his eyes widening. "A turbulence, un??!" he exclaimed, and Sasori laughed.

"Yeah, ditz, like a sleeping beauty. You slept through EVERYTHING." Sasori said, smirking as Deidara grew red again as he said sleeping beauty. Deidara faked a cough and went back to his dinner, glimpsing Itachi out of the corner of his eyes, eating the same thing as Sasori. He looked down at the fish and continued eating, tasting the Potato Salad, which came as a side dish. He turned to Sasori. "This is pretty good, un." Sasori looked at the Potato Salad. "You want to try some?"

Sasori nodded. He lifted his own fork. Then Deidara lifted his in front of Sasori's face. Sasori drew back slightly, his face sporting a fleeting blush before he returned to his usual bored face. Deidara grinned as Sasori ate off his fork, and asked, "It's good, right, un?" Sasori considered it for a moment. Then he nodded. "It's not bad for Airline food. I'd say… Jack's Place's standard." He offered, and Deidara nodded. "Somewhere around there, anyway, un." Deidara added, twirling his fork expertly, and then stabbing The remaining quarter of the Grilled Fish Dory.

Sasori poked around his food, deciding to follow Deidara's lead and sampled his side dish, which was a very well and generously dressed Fruit Salad. He poked at it, uncovering pieces of assorted fruit. "Hey, Deidara… what's your favorite fruit?" he asked, and Deidara tilted his head to one side, putting a finger on his bottom lip, considering the question. Sasori decided to focus on his food, since he felt this was way too cute, and his face would probably betray a blush somehow. "Strawberry, maybe, un. Or mango…" Deidara decided, and Sasori found a piece of the pink fruit and stabbed it softly, holding the fork loosely with 2 fingers.

"H… Here," He said, and Deidara smiled at him, a flush apparent on both their faces. Deidara bit the fruit off and ate it slowly. "That's the… 1000 Island dressing, un." He noted, and Sasori took a piece of fruit for himself. "You're right." He seconded, and Deidara laughed. "But somehow, it tastes a lot better." Sasori tipped his head, playing with his food in a bored fashion.

Deidara looked over at Hidan's empty seat and saw that Itachi was now sitting next to Kisame, and Hidan was next to Kakuzu. Tobi and Zetsu could only be in the lounge since they weren't in business class, and Konan and Pein were checking their gig plans while eating.

"Hey Sasori, can I go talk to Konan for a second, un?" Deidara asked, and Sasori frowned momentarily before returning to his icy composure. "Sure." The redhead replied, and Deidara walked over to Konan, somewhat reluctantly after hearing Sasori's reply. Konan looked up and smiled as Deidara stood next to her. "Something wrong, Deidara?" she asked, and Deidara rubbed his left elbow with his right arm, shifting from one leg to another slowly. "Well, un…" he said, and Konan was out of her seat.

Deidara + terrible posture + "Well, un…" = URGENT BUSINESS.

Konan looked behind them at Pein before she asked in a whisper, "What's the problem?" Deidara nodded to Sasori and frowned at the floor. "Him, un." He replied, and Konan looked at the redhead, who had finished his food and was putting in an order for a glass of wine through the stewardess who collected his empty tray. "I don't see it." She said, scratching the back of her head in a comical fashion. Till she saw the full flush on Deidara's face, even while his head was turned away. "Oh…" she said, "Ohhhh."

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Ohhhh, un." Konan considered this for a minute and then shrugged. "Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens." Deidara's jaw dropped (figuratively) as he registered this. "You're saying, un…" he tilted his head meaningfully, "That I should just let this thing manifest or die just the way it wants, un?!?" Konan shrugged and nodded. "Pretty much, yeah."

Deidara fisted his hair, and then he winced slightly as he stepped on his ankle, which was just a little sore compared to before, thankfully. "Well, whatever it is, un, I don't think this is right, un. We're going to be spending a lot of time with Tsukisa, un, and I'm going to be spending a lot of time with Sasori, un." Konan poked at his shoulder and he staggered back a little. "Look, Deidara, I don't know if you know this, but while you were sleeping, you were the one who had snuggled into him like puppy, and then after a second, he put his arm around you." Deidara's eyes widened. Konan laughed for a minute.

"For about 30 minutes, he looked like he was thinking while holding you, then a stewardess came along and he woke you up for dinner. That's what I saw." She ended, and Deidara clutched his head, comically squatting on the floor. "Ahh… Dammit!! Why do these things always happen to me??!" he asked Konan, and Konan shrugged again, laughing. She nodded her head to Sasori and said, "I don't know, but if you're going to fall for him, I think he's a pretty mysterious guy. Like you can't tell much of what he's thinking. But I think he's pretty nice?" she guessed, and Deidara nodded.

"Well, whatever it is, he's pretty possessive…" Deidara sweat dropped, remembering Sasori's icy reply. When Konan asked, he hastily changed the subject.

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Please Review!!  
Anyways, yes, I know Dei's POV was shorter… but I couldn't help it, I do all my work at night, and I ran out of Sapporo T.T

Well, either way, I hope you liked it, thanks for all the reviews and encouragement!!  
Hope you continue to support me ^^


	8. Chapter 8

ALRIGHT!!!! Chapter 8.  
Hidan and Kakuzu's POV's here, and it's one of the more boring chapters!!! I'm sorry. I swear i tried.  
Thanks for all the awesome reviews, they really helps with some idea for their gigs and like ^^

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Hidan still couldn't believe Deidara and Sasori were already so close. He chuckled a little at the thought that he and Kakuzu would even touch each other without having their lives at stake. As he walked past Itachi, who was sitting next to Kisame for some reason, he looked at the seat in front of Kisame, which was empty. He looked around. Zetsu was no where to be seen, dinner was going to be served, and Kakuzu was, annoyingly, asleep. He sighed as he dropped into Zetsu's seat, staring out of the window at the sky.

"Mmph…" Hidan looked over at Kakuzu, who muttered and shifted slightly. Hidan rolled his eyes in annoyance, and lifted the back of his hand to touch Kakuzu's forehead. For a second, he hesitated, and then he pushed his black bangs out of the way and felt his forehead. The fever had, thankfully, receded. Hidan nodded with relief and leaned back in his seat, considering pushing it back, and deciding not to in case Kisame was using the table on his chair. He decided to go back and get his MP3, walking past Deidara and Sasori again, who were in conversation.

He simply grabbed his MP3 coolly and made his way back to Zetsu's flight seat. He dropped into it and put his MP3 on full blast, listening to his favorite groups like Three Days Grace and My Chemical Romance. His eyes shut, completely immersed in music. Unknowingly, he began tapping out the rhythm with his foot, and then he started playing out the piano pieces, his foot on imaginary pedals.

Until a stewardess tapped him on the arm. He took his headphones off, and they dropped to around his neck. "Yes." He said irritably, and the stewardess clasped her hands. "Um…" she said, and Hidan recognized her. She was the stewardess who had spoken to Sasori while Deidara was sleeping previously. "Um… Yes." He remedied, so that it came out more politely. The stewardess smiled and gestured to Kakuzu. "Will he be having his dinner now, or later?" she asked, and Hidan thought for a second. "Now, I think. I'll wake him."

She nodded. "Well, you have a choice of Spaghetti Bolognaise or the Grilled Fish Dory," Hidan considered. "Hang on a minute…" he turned around and asked Kisame through a crack between the seats, "Hey, Kisame, what does Kakuzu eat?" Kisame stared at him blankly. "Food?" he replied, and Itachi poked him. "He means the Fish or the Spaghetti." Itachi said quietly, and Hidan nodded. Kisame laughed and replied, "Um… I guess the Spaghetti, since he dislikes sushi?" he said, and Hidan pondered what that had to do with it for a moment, before deciding he didn't care, and then turned to the stewardess and sighed. "Well, one Spaghetti, and I'll have the Fish. Thanks." He said, and she walked away. Behind him, Itachi was asking about what Kakuzu not liking sushi had to do with it. 'They seem to be getting along great, too…' Hidan thought.

He watched them in the reflection of the window, talking and Kisame smiling charmingly at Itachi. Itachi was looking focused on his food, although Hidan could tell he had interest in the conversation by the way he would pause and his eyes would flick up to glance at Kisame for a moment, before returning to finishing his meal. He grinned. There were just some things you got to know about a person once you were with them long enough.

'It's kind of… I don't know… sweet.' Hidan thought, continuing to spy on them, and he fumbled with his earphones while he watched Itachi rising out of his seat, appearing to be making his way to the albino himself. "Hidan." Itachi called, and Hidan switched off his MP3 and pulled off his quickly placed headphones. "Yeah?" he replied, genuinely curious. Itachi gestured for him to get out so that they could talk. He shrugged and complied, and they made their way, once again for Itachi, to the break between the Business cabin and the Lounge. "Yeah?" Hidan repeated.

Itachi shifted slightly, and then he met Hidan's eyes evenly for a bit, before focusing on something a little on the right to Hidan's head. He muttered something under his breath, or at least, Hidan thought he did, since he couldn't hear ANYTHING. He frowned and said, "Speak up, weasel. I can't hear you." Now it was a mutter. Hidan, however, was not a patient man. He took Itachi by the shoulders and hissed, "Freaking Talk Instead Of Mutter, Wiseass." Itachi pushed Hidan's arms aside and grabbed him by the collar, and with a voice tone akin to something like a scream for Itachi, he replied, "I . Kissed. Kisame."

Hidan blinked for a minute, then the cogs in his brain slowly began to turn… "Oh." He leaned against the wall for support. Trying to hide his laughter at the panic in Itachi's voice, he asked, "When?" Itachi looked worried now, as he massaged his head, and his black bangs fell over his face. "Um… about a half hour ago, when the turbulence happened. You were awake, right?" Itachi asked, and Hidan nodded. He was scared half to hell too, but he wasn't going to say that. Itachi sighed, and a stewardess nearby walked sharply in the other direction, making for a tissue box. Hidan laughed, and when Itachi asked what about, he hastily changed the subject.

"How'd it happen? I assume you weren't asking him to kiss you, from the way you're staring at me like a frog." Hidan said sarcastically, and Itachi glared at him, "The turbulence, we were in the lounge. And then I stood up to help a stewardess, and I fell." Hidan's eyes dropped to Itachi's knee which was under Tobi's orange scarf, and he nodded, whereby Itachi continued, "Kisame got up to try and steady me, and instead, we collided and… kissed." Itachi ended, pronouncing the last word like it was against the bible.

Hidan shrugged. "Did you like it?" he asked, and Itachi was getting annoyed, he could see, by Hidan's curiosity. But even so, he answered the question with certain discomfort. This was something rare, and Hidan thanked God he was able to view it, front row seat. "Well… I don't really know. It's pretty normal to kiss someone back once you've been kissed, I read, so I don't think that's the main issue." Itachi muttered, and Hidan rolled his eyes, before registering the weight of that sentence. "First of all," he poked Itachi, "Where did you read that, and second, you kissed him back??"

Itachi flushed, before his face returned to its usual emotionless state. "I read it in Reader's Digest, SHUT UP, and yes I did, for a moment, before I pulled away first." Hidan held Itachi's shoulders sympathetically, trying his best to ignore the Reader's Digest thing. "He was probably in shock, I guess." He said, and Itachi nodded, perturbed. Hidan looked at Itachi and gave him a once over.

Itachi was from the Uchiha family, who specialized in the upbringing of musicians. He had abandoned his family name, and was with Akaku, blatantly refusing to go home so that he could make his music. But he was a great musician and song writer, and he had amazing stage presence. At their fist gig, Itachi had received the most fan mail out of all of them, although the plays had slowly evened out. They received around the same amount of fan mail now. Itachi was around his height, 175, and he had a tint of red in his eyes, which darkened whenever he was angry, or sad, sometimes. It was a strange trait, that used to be extremely apparent in the older Uchiha generations.

Itachi also had raven black hair, and it was down to mid back. He wore this only in a single hairstyle, and that was a low slung ponytail. His skin was pale and looked almost white, like Hidan's own albino skin. He had eye bags on occasion, his main time of inspiration being at night. He looked like one of those boys who were frail and needed protecting, and yet, he had a dangerous feel to him. Whenever he spoke or acted, you would be able to feel the impact of his presence. Itachi was a natural leader, and he'd let you know that if you were around long enough, and he would exert it if you pissed him off enough. He was a quiet, mysterious guy, and he preferred to listen.

Overall, Uchiha Itachi was like an unknown entity you had to be with for a long enough time to understand.

Hidan sighed, shifting on his feet. "Well, with all things in perspective, Itachi, you do look pretty… um. Do-able." He said, and Itachi frowned. "Do-able?" he repeated, and Hidan threw his hands in the air. "Everyone wants to do you, ok? I couldn't find the word. Shut up." At this, Itachi flushed bright red for a minute, and Hidan laughed. "Look, it could be worse. You could be blonde." Hidan noted, and Itachi looked at Deidara, shuddering in mock fear. They laughed for a minute, and then Itachi turned to Hidan. "So… what do I do?" he asked softly, and Hidan sighed, craning his neck slightly to look at Kisame, who was staring out of the window, absently playing with his food, which he didn't look like he was going to eat. "Just play it easy, I guess. Whatever will be will be." He said, and Itachi rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, that's some real Ask Auntie advice right there, genius." He jeered, and Hidan punched him on the arm. They made their way back to their respective seats.

Hidan was going to head bang to his music again, until he saw the stewardess coming back. Then he remembered he had to wake Kakuzu, and he regretted it. He didn't know how Kakuzu was like, but if he was that annoying while he was awake… think about how he'd be when he was woken up. Hidan picked the Asprin he'd carelessly thrown on the blanket earlier and thought, 'I'll force him to take it after dinner. Then he's going to sleep again. I don't care.'

* * *

Kakuzu awoke groggily to the effect of someone shaking him awake gently. 'Gently.' Kakuzu registered, followed by the brief thought, 'It can't be any of Tsukisa, then.' He opened his deep emerald eyes and met startling pink turned purple. Finding he couldn't move back despite the shock, he watched as the other person readjusted into focus. He began breathing again. "Hidan." He stated simply, and Hidan rolled his eyes. 'Nice eyes.' Kakuzu thought absently, and then he shook his head a little to clear his head.

"No, freaking Santa Clause, Sherlock." He retorted, and Kakuzu rolled his eyes. He looked out of the window and groaned, running a hand through his tousled hair. "What time is it." Hidan looked at him for a minute, and looked down at the food, which was still steaming hot. "It's… 8:13." Hidan replied, and Kakuzu nodded, yawning, although it couldn't really be seen due to his mask. Hidan hesitantly reached for his forehead again, and then Kakuzu's facial expression frowned as he felt for his temperature. Hidan retracted his hand and rubbed it, smiling. He grinned at Kakuzu. "Your fever's gone down. As long as you take the Asprin, you should be fine till we get off tomorrow." Kakuzu looked at him, and then at the 2 Asprin pills on the table next to his food.

"Those aren't mine." He stated simply, and Hidan glared at him. "Well bastard, you looked half dead, white and all. I should have really let you die on a plane to Akaku's first real group gig." He said, sarcasm edging his tone as he began pulling his headphones on. Kakuzu pondered this for a moment, before grabbing one of Hidan's wrists. Hidan frowned at him. Kakuzu's eyesight was not exactly aimed right at Hidan as he muttered a quiet, "Thanks." Hidan moved back a little from surprise, before pulling his wrist away. "Yeah, well, if you're going to get any better, next is food." Hidan instructed, and Kakuzu turned to the now reasonably warm airline food.

They ate in silence. Hidan did not put his headphones on.

When Kakuzu was done, he looked over to Sasori, who was leaning on his right fist, with a pair of white earphones tucked in his ears. 'Must belong to that blonde brat he's looking at, his earphones are black.' Kakuzu thought, and he looked at Deidara, who was talking to the blue haired woman who managed their band. Sasori was spacing out, Kakuzu noted with amusement, as he looked at the blonde. Hidan looked over and laughed. "Those two were all comfortable while you were conked out. Deidara started hugging your friend over there, something he does in his sleep. Dei's a weird sleeper." Hidan clarified, and Kakuzu shut his eyes, cracking a discreet smile under his mask.

Waiting for Hidan to lean back, Kakuzu stared at Hidan's eyes. "Is that their natural color?" Kakuzu asked, and Hidan looked at him for a second. "Yeah. Don't know what kind of weird parents I've got to get me freaking pink or purple eyes, but there we have it." He said, and Kakuzu chuckled. "You know, your eyes are…" he stopped himself. What was he thinking?

Hidan was waiting, and inquisitive look on his face.

"… Unique. Your eye color is unique. Unusual. Rare." STOP, Kakuzu yelled internally. Thankfully, his mouth obeyed. Hidan considered this and nodded. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Half my fan mail informs me about my 'unusual' eye color. It's also the reason I'm almost raped by fans about 60% of the time. So?" he grinned, and Kakuzu shrugged. "I don't know. It just seemed worth asking. I thought they might have been contacts or something." Hidan shook his head at this, pointing to his eyes. "Perfect 20/20." He said.

Kakuzu thought about this for a minute. Hidan observed him. "And you? Your greens are pretty unusual too." He replied, and Kakuzu turned to him. "I'm wearing clear contacts, but my degree's very low. This is still my natural eye color." He said, and Hidan nodded. "Cool."

Leaning back into his chair, Hidan checked his watch. 8:47. 'Did time always pass this slowly?' he thought, when Kakuzu turned to him. "So, where'd you come from, Hokkaido or Hiroshima or what." Kakuzu said purely out of boredom, and Hidan looked a little taken aback at the question. Then he turned away and muttered something so soft Kakuzu couldn't hear it. He rolled his eyes and turned Hidan's face to him sharply. "Hey, I didn't catch that. Talk louder, will you?" he said, and Hidan swatted his hand away.

"I don't know." He replied, and Kakuzu sighed in annoyance. "What do you mean you don't know?" he said, and Hidan looked away. "Look, it's none of your business, ok? And besides, it's nothing big." Hidan muttered the last bit, and Kakuzu frowned. "Hey, what's up? Don't you…" "No, I don't, ok? Look, I come from an orphanage, was taken in by Itachi, was with the band for their debut till now. The story of my life. Parents left me when I was 5 at the neighborhood kid dumping place, and I hate them. Are you satisfied?" Hidan ranted, and then he stopped. His eyes opened wide, like he couldn't believe what he'd just said. Kakuzu looked at him, and dropped back into his own seat. "Oh." He said lamely.

Hidan turned away, and put on his headphones. He turned the volume to the max, and looked out of the window, his legs up, in a arms-wrapped-around-knees position. His eyes narrowed, and eventually shut. Kakuzu reached out, and stopped within millimeters of the albino's back.

"Sorry." Kakuzu muttered softly, turning the other way, even though he knew Hidan had probably not heard him.

Behind, Hidan un-paused his music, a small tear escaping his grip.

* * *

Please Review. [And be honest!! This KakuHi chapter was TERRIBLE, i know. But it wouldn't hurt to suggest :]  
Sorry Kakuzu's POV was so short, i was stuck after the '"Oh." he said lamely', part =="  
Once again, thanks for your reviews and encouragement.


	9. Chapter 9

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Ok, first of all, thank you for all of the reviews, people, i LOVE you for them, and please make them LOOOONG, i love long reviews!! And sometimes, the ideas i get from them are FANTASTIC ^^  
Either way, Kakuzu and Hidan were so OOC in the last chapter, and i'm so sorry if you hated it... Sorry!!! I was half dead and out of chocolate. No one should hold bad writing against me if i ran out of my miracle drug  
Without further ado, another chapter, this time of Tobi and Zetsu :D

* * *

Tobi lay his utensils on the tray, smiling in a satisfied manner. Zetsu watched as he muttered, "Thanks for the food." Zetsu continued sipping his drink, having finished much earlier than Tobi, who found the speed at which Zetsu could consume something rather amazing. He also understood that Zetsu was more often than not silent, preferring to listen to conversation, unlike Tobi, who made it. And lastly, Zetsu enjoyed sipping a beverage, preferably a hot one, as he listened. Tobi liked cold drinks, and wouldn't mind if there were a couple of ice cubes to chew on when he was done.

Earlier on, Zetsu had gotten so used to teaching Tobi that he'd refused to have dinner till he was done teaching Tobi the riff for Time To Dance by Panic At The Disco. Tobi hadn't minded. He was drawn to the way Zetsu would ask him to keep practising something till he'd gotten it down pat. By that time, Zetsu had taught Tobi 4 riffs, and had refused, after teaching him each time, to teach him any more till he had finished memorizing the previous ones. Although Tobi was unused to being taught since he'd self taught himself the drums by simply watching other, he enjoyed being asked to follow for a change.

Tobi was never supposed to learn the drums. He was taught to excell in the flute from the beginning, to remember how to hold it properly, to memorize the scores on sight and to play it almost immediately after browsing the cords. His finger placement was drilled into him like he was in the army, his breath demanded to be even and the amount of air taken in properly considered accordingly to the number of notes he had to play before there was another break.

Tobi hated it all secretly.

He hated the order, he hated the uniformality, he hated being told what to do all the time, he hated special diets, he hated classes all day, he hated classical music ringing in his ears long after sleep, he hated the instruments that hogged his room away from himself, he hated his elsers for forcing him into something, he hated having his fingers insured, he hated hardly touching anything for fear of damaging his "musical fingers", he hated it all. He hated everything.

But Tobi never said anything.

He'd always been watching Itachi, watching something grow inside the other, something he knew was very much similar to what he had inside of him, too. But although Itachi had a glacier like expression all the time and the response rate of a wall, Tobi knew that he would hold out longer than Itachi. he thought about it for a long period of time, playing his moves well, allowing Itachi to know at times that he was being watched. Then finally, one day, Itachi told him it was time he was freed from his cage. Tobi disliked people telling him that he was in need of their help, but Itachi simply tossed several videos and CD's on Tobi's orange and black stripped bed. Then he left.

Tobi picked one up, and watched it. It was a recording of some of the drumming legends in the music industry, musical artists that broke records and made up riffs so unconventional Tobi himself was amazed. He watched them, telling himself it was out of boredom, picking one up after another. Watching, watching past his supposed lights out time, not putting the thin gloves he was asked to wear on his fingers. His foot began tapping out the rhythm, and his hands imitated the movements.

Tobi smiled. He wanted to play the drums. The next day, he told Itachi this at breakfast, and Itachi simply lugged his violin case off to school. But Tobi half thouight he'd seen a subtle smile on Itachi'[s face as he boarded the black mercedes, which destination was school.

"Tobi?" Zetsu called, jerking Tobi out of his thoughts. The boy smiled at the other man, and Zetsu smiled him a smaller smiled. "What are you thinking of?" Zetsu asked, and Tobi shook his head. "Nothing, much, really. Now that we're done, can we begin on the next riff?" he pleaded, and Zetsu nodded, putting his drink on the table as he leant forward, getting ready to teach Tobi another riff on an imaginary set of drums. Tobi nodded, and did the same.

'Zetsu san is so nice.' he said, and he lookd at Zetsu for a second. "Ok, so from here, it goes..." Zetsu said, and Tobi nodded, imitating his moves. He wondered how hois body was able to commit movement to memory while he was focused on something else. It was probably his flute technique excercises. He was annoyed, not only by how he seemed to have a split personality, but how he had to admit something his elders had done benefited him now.

'Zetsu san is teaching me. I should pay attention.' Tobi chided himself inwardly, and decided he was going to discontinue all inner thoughts, and whatever he thought was going to be said. "My god, Zetsu, you're so..." he blurted out, and Zetsu stared at him. "What?" the other asked, and Tobi slapped his forehead. "Nothing. It's just sometimes you're going really quickly. Sorry, but i caught up. Just that i thought i lost a couple of beats there. 4 taps, 8 beats and then 4 hits. I understand." he blabbered, and Zetsu nodded. "Alright, i'll see if i can go slower." he said, and Tobi nodded gratefully, thankful that he had not completed the sentence.

For over a year now, Tobi had known he was gay. When he first found out, he simply decided that he had to keep quiet about it. So Tobi had kept the fact that he was gay quiet all along. It would help him in his life, protect him in his career, and save him from alot of pointless explanations and conversations. Maybe even fake psychiatrists. When he'd first found out, it had been at one of their smaller gigs, and usually, each time he reacted toward another male, Tobi was able to stay away long enough for the feelings to fade away. He just felt safer not being in a relationship while he was in Akaku.

Although he had never told anyone, he found it hard to believe that everyone in Akaku was oblivious over his sexual preferences. Itachi and Konan certainly weren't. Even if they never questioned him about it, Tobi was almost positive they both knew about it Hidan and Deidara? Not so sure. As he gave Zetsu a once over, he noted that Zetsu was pretty unusual. No one would think he was this nice with his fit build, and sometimes, it might be difficult for someone to match Zetsu's appearances to his personality. But Tobi didn't have a problem with that, he considered personality the most important aspect, and Zetsu definitely had THAT.

Zetsu was fit and toned, but not too tall or too wide. Tobi came right up to under his chin, and Zetsu's shoulders were just a little broader than his. His Hair was messy and touseled like he'd just woken up, a shade of dark green that suited him very well because it fit nicely with his bright yello eyes. Tobi didn't ask about them, he assumed that they were real. Apparantly people can have wierd coloured eyes now, because of their parents. An example, of course, were the Uchiha families themselves. Tobi's eyes were a prominent shade of red, like Itachi's.

Tobi shook his head, pretending to do it because his hair was hanging in his eyes. 'Stop it now.' he thought. 'Just because he's georgeous and cute and an AWESOME drummer, it doesn't mean you have to go after him like a faggot.' He tried to focus on Zetsu, who repeated his movements on the riff. Tobi imitated him unconciously, and Zetsu nodded, thought slightly frowning. Tobi tried to remember where he'd went wrong, but since Zetsu was moving on, he must not have made such a stupid mistake after all.

Tobi turned to look at Zetsu again, and was amused to see his own hands moving, though not surprised. Tobi already knew about his liable "talent", to multitask. It was quite something, to be able to do something while thinking about something completely different. Tobi wondered if he was schizophrenic at one point in time, and decided to let things play out as they should, not much caring because this still gave him an edge over everyone else. While people had to focus on one thing at a time, Tobi could be thinking about something else while subconciously taking note of what was going on around him. It was a handy talent.

Especially in times like these. Tobi, by experience, knew that he was going to be able to beat these tunes out on the drums later on, and carefully followed Zetsu's lead through the previous riff, committing it to memory. 'I wonder if he knows i'm not really listening.' he looked at Zetsu.  
'Nope. Don't think so.'

* * *

'Why isn't he listening?!' Zetsu thought in frustration.

For the past 30 minutes, Zetsu had taught Tobi riffs, but he knew the boy was missing his usual gusto as he repeated the riffs back to him mechanically. He'd carried on, though, and Tobi seemed to be able to catch on, even though his thoughts were somewhere else. Zetsu wondered if he had a split personality. _'Like you.' _Zetsu sighed. All day, he'd managed to quieten that "other" person in him, and there was a certain limit to the amount of time before silence comes to an end, he supposed.

_'Got to hand it to ya, white. Five minutes with a boy and you fall hard. Something's gotta be wrong with that.'  
_Zetsu felt his temper flare slightly as he continued showing Tobi the rhythm and signifying the chorus with the next few crashes. 'I have nothing wrong with me. Go away, dark, and leave me to teach the already distracted boy. You're making this harder than it needs to be. Besides, having crushes,' God, even the word seemed juvenile, ',every now and then is normal. Normal and Harmless.'  
_'Oh really? And what happened last time you had a "crush"?'  
_Zetsu cringed. Going into detail would be a painful experience. He had had a crush on the same person for a little over 3 years, never had the ass to confess, and had to watch as the love of his life died on a hospital bed after a car accident, the aftermath being 28 hours of operations in the A and E unit. When he'd... _'Oh yes, it was a he.'_... he'd died, all Zetsu could do was watch. 'That was an extreme case. And it's not going to happen again.' he thought. The other person in his mind snorted like he was 5 years old, and Zetsu sighed. 'The feelings will fade soon enough, i'm sure. Stop bothering me about this.'  
_'Yeah well, you've got a pretty long way ahead with this kid. We'll see about your feelings "fading". Which i doubt they will, for the record.'  
_'I never asked, now leave me alone.' Zetsu thought irritably, and this time his other self didn't even bother to reply. It was as if he'd given up on convincing Zetsu hanging out with the boy was a bad thing. 'Which it probably was.' Zetsu thought, and he shook his head, freeing himself from his thoughts.

Tapping Tobi lightly, he watched with amusemet as Tobi leapt to life, and asked him with wide eyes, "Yeah??" He shook his head. "You're getting all of this, i can tell, but can you please tell me what's on your mind? You looked normal, but i could tell you're slightly spaced." He smiled, and Tobi looked to his left, embarassed. "Was it that obvious..." he muttered, and Zetsu shook his head. "No, but somehow, i could tell anyway." he said, and Tobi looked at him for a moment before leaning back into his chair.

"Hmm..." Tobi considered this, smiling. Zetsu frowned. "What is it?" he asked, and Tobi laughed. "No. It's just... I don't know, people have seen me like that, not really paying attention and going through the motions, but they haven't picked up on it like you have." he said, and Zetsu sighed. "I see." he said, and Tobi smiled. Click. Oh yes, Zetsu remembered. That damn photographich memory was at it again. "I'm sorry," Tobi said, and Zetsu shook his head. "It's ok."

They sat in silence for awhile. Zetsu liked it. He felt people didn't have to be making noise all the time, if only they stopped once in a while to listen... They'd find it wasn't as bad as it seemed. He looked at Tobi, who had his eyes closed, and then smiled as Tobi opened one of his eyes to him, smiling a small smile. Click. 'GOD DAMMIT.' Zetsu thought, just as a sidenote.

"I hear it." Tobi whispered, and Zetsu ran his fingers through his hair. "What do you hear." he replied, like a sentence instead of a question. Tobi shut his eyes. "I hear Hidan listening to our I Hate Everything About You. Itachi to our Cantarella. Deidara to Boys Like Girls' Great Escape. I hear many things." Tobi frowned. "I hear you muttering to someone, but not me. Why?"

Zetsu's mind reeled. _'Wow, at least he has a brain and an insane sense of hearing.'_ 'Shut Up.' Zetsu thought in reply, and he shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You're the only person here." Zetsu said in reply, and his other self laughed. _'If i had a choice, your pants would be on fire.' _Zetsu registered, and he shut his eyes, focusing only on Tobi. When he opened them again, the voice was gone, and he could only see Tobi's eyes, which were, at the moment, highlighted in red and glimmering with beauty, thoughtful and watchful.

"Tobi." Zetsu called, and Tobi's sight shot to him like a bullet. "Yes?" the black haired boy answered, and Zetsu pondered for a moment before asking, "Are you and Itachi from the Uchiha family?"  
Tobi stopped fumbling with his orange glasses and simply slid them on over his eyes. they hid his red eyes, and Zetsu thought about this with curious disappointment. Tobi hadn't answered, and Zetsu was just about to change the subject when Tobi said with a slightly cold laughter, "No. Not anymore."

Zetsu sighed as he turned away from Tobi. They'd run away, probably. The Uchiha family was so high up that if a single one of their sons were disowned publicly or even privately, the press would certainly get wind of it, and the whole news centre would have a field day. That's how much the Uchiha family meant in the Music industry. But if they'd run away from home, why didn't their parents send anyone after them? Why weren't there cover stories on the 2 missing kids, and why weren't there any signs of discontentment within the Uchiha family?

"Because they didn't care." Tobi answered, and Zetsu was alerted by this. It was as thought Tobi had picked the question from his mind, and as Tobi gazed out of the window into the night sky, Zetsu couldn't help but hear another Kodak moment Click. He sighed once again and rolled his eyes. 'Well?' he thought, watching Tobi as his red eyes glittered softly from the slightly dimmer lounge lights. They were the only 2 left, and it was around 10. Everyone had left to eat in their seats, unlike Tobi and Zetsu, who had requested to eat in the lounge. They were alone. Tobi's eyes danced with the stars outside the window, and Zetsu called his other side. 'Anything to say about that?'

Only silence came.

* * *

Please Review.

YESSSS!!! It is complete  
I didn't do this one on Microsoft before uploading it, which is what i usually do. I started on it in school, when we had to so some research for a debate, after i was done. The boredom won my sensibility to stay clear of other sites on a school computer. [I'm in DOS, the Debating and Oratorical Society. It sounds strict and uptight, but we're just a normal bunch, really. We have alot of fun during CCA :]  
Anyways, thanks once again for the encouragement, please continue to give me your guidance!!!


	10. Chapter 10

SHADOW-SORCERESS13, I LOVE YOU.  
Sorry for the randomnosity, but she's been giving me the LONGESSSST reviews ever, and they've just been encouraging me soo much!!! Half the time, it's cause of her i feel i have to post up more quickly, so thank HER for the updates, peoplez!!! XD  
Not to say i've forgotten my other review-ers :DDDDD You're AWESOMEZ too XD  
I love long reviews, *hint hint* really, really LOOOOOOOONG reviews... *gets shot for shameless-nosity* X.x

Lol!! Just to clarify, Tobi is NOT, i repeat, is NOT Madara Uchiha here. He's reporting to someone named Madara Uchiha back in Japan at the Uchiha house, who reports to Itachi's father. Just to clear things up, if there's any confusion. I know about the whole Tobi-Obito-Madara saga, but i decided to tweak it a bit, ok? Please, no flames I am not heat resistant, God DAMMIT.  
Plus, I know i haven't emphasized sooo much on Kakuzu's money grubbing personality thing. Let's ignore that for now, and focus on his COLD and SICKLY and AIRSICK side :)  
Itachi and Kisame now, ok :D Skipping time somewhat.

The story will be moving somewhat faster, hope you like it just the same anyway They're in AMERICA now XD

* * *

Itachi lugged his carry on, nodding to the staff as they politely waved goodbye. He allowed one of his earphones to tumble carelessly out of his ear, and flipped his long hair out of his face with annoyance, something he had to do about a million times a day. It got annoying after awhile, no matter how good it looked, and he hadn't had time to tie it before they got off the plane. The time difference was getting to him. Kisame picked up his carry on. "Can you tie up your hair? Because you look like you're having a neck spasm, trying to flip it back so often." he joked, and Itachi rollled his eyes before nodding, taking a hair band off his wrist from under his sleeve. With practised fingers, he skillfully tied his hair neatly into a ponytail.

Kisame watched him in amusement, and Itachi grew used to him watching him. The night before, they had an awkward time sitting next to each other after what had happened in the Lounge, but Kisame had apologised, and Itachi had granted him a reprieve from silent treatment because he'd said it so nicely. And besides, Kisame's face had been dangerously close to him, and if he'd been just a little closer...

'STOP. EEET.' Itachi shouted at himself internally, cutting his thoughts off before it got too... you know. Kisame lugged his carry on slingbag and pulled it over his head, and held Itachi's black and red Krumpler under his arm. "Where to?" he asked, and Konan turned to smile at them. Deidara and Hidan were still trying to shake the sleep out of their eyes, though Tobi was looking pretty energetic, and Itachi was well alert. He could be a morning person if he wanted to. Yes, it was morning. It's 10:32am, to be precise. The time lapse was confusing till Itachi had asked all of them to adjust their watches to the timing on the Airport clock.

Pein looked over Konan's shoulder at them. "After we clear security, we collect luggage. After that, we get our instruments and find the guy that'll take us to the hotel." he said, and Konan nodded. "There, you'll be given the after noon for jetlag's sake, and then we head to dinner." Kisame nodded, and Deidara asked, "Is the night free or taken?" Hidan grinned, and Konan smiled again. "Up to you guys. If you want to practise, by all means, a soundproof studio will be provided." Itachi considered this and nodded. First of all, security. One thing at a time.

He fumbled with his earphones, and twirled them around the music playing device. He turned to Kisame, who was talking to Kakuzu in an animated way, and the masked man was responding an an extremely UN-animated way. He tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Kisame turned around and saw Itachi holding out his hadn. He smiled and handed it back, and Itachi turned away, a quiet thanks. Their back to each other, Kisame continued talking to Kakuzu, thought not really focusing on the subject as much as before. Itachi felt around the inside of his bag for his passport, his fringe over his face.

"Itachi, un?" Itachi sighed. "What is it, Deidara, do you have your passport out yet?" "Yeah, un... well, Hidan told me, un." "Hidan told you what, Deidara?" Itachi rolled his eyes, as he checked his folders for his pass card and found it. "About you and Kisame, un, in the business cabin thing, un." Itachi looked up at Deidara, who shifted awkwardly as he ran his fangers through his blonde hair. "Look, just relax, ok? You look like you're over it already, un." Deidara said, and Itachi sighed, reaching back down into his bag. "I don't know if i want to get over it..." he muttered to Deidara, who frowned in confusion.

'It's just that...' Itachi turned away from Deidara, who had begun to ask a question. Knowing he was being rude, but didn't really care for the moment. 'I haven't loved or been loved for so long. Always trapped in that house or in that equally oppressive school.' Itachi pulled out his Visa Pass and walked back to the group. 'The last time has got to be over 5 years ago. And it ended after a few weeks, slightly more than 2 months.' he thought. He looked at Kisame and wondered if Kisame was thinking about him at all. Which made him feel pretty pathetic, so he tuned out to pay attention to what the others were talking about.

"...ok, let's go." Pein ended, and Itachi just followed Tobi, who raced ahead next to Deidara and Hidan. He hung behind them, and Konan walked next to him. "Hey Itachi," she asked, "Did something happen between you and Kisame??" she asked, and Itachi looked at her. What the heck. Tobi saw it, he told Hidan about it, who told Deidara about it. What's the difference if one more person knew. "I fell on top of him during an air turbulence, that's all." Itachi said simply, and Konan stoned for a minute, standing at the same spot without moving, so that Kisame whammed into her, his attention directed at Zetsu, who was telling him what a fast learner Tobi was.

"Oww!! No offense Konan san, but what the heck are you doing?" Kisame said, rubbing his shoulder. She turned to glare at him, and he looked taken aback. Pein, shuffling a few documents for the clearance, said, "Just walk on. Do not provoke." They decided to follow his advice and Konan glared at him as he walked past, but Itachi noticed, with less vigour. Then she turned to Itachi and her look softened. They put their passes on the counter for the staff to approve, and came out at the other end, making for luggage collection.

"So... How do you feel?" she asked, and Itachi looked emotionless. And suddenly, as she looked closely, thoughtful. "Well, i don't know. I'm unable to articulate it well." he replied, and Konan laughed, amused. "Ok, then what happened when you kissed him? Did he..." "I did not KISS him, I fell ON TOP of him, which UNFORTUNATELY, resulted in our LIPS MEETING, so techinically, NEITHER of us came onto each other. Clear?" Itachi interuptted, and Konan glimpsed his icy glare before nodding quickly. "Yeah, crystal." inner Konan was screaming with fright.

Itachi watched as Kisame turned to wait for them. They laid their passes on the table, nodding curtly as the staff stamped their cards and passes. Getting their papers back, and several curious stares from the Americans, Itachi and Konan went over to the other side of Security. "Ok, to Luggage." Pain instructed, pointing in the direction, and they followed his lead sombrely. As they waited, Kisame tapped Itachi on his shoulder. "Are you ok?" he asked, concerned, and Itachi looked away. "I'm fine. Is that yours?" He said, pointing at a luggage bag to avoid unwanted questions. Kisame seemed to get the hint, nodding after replying the luggage wasn't his, and not prompting further discussion.

As they ran their bags under the last security check, Konan and Pein pushed them out through the glass doors. Shaking out his raven hair, Itachi could make out 2 people, a boy and a girl, making their way toward the group. Tobi grinned as they stopped. Taking off his orange shades, he shouted "HELLO AMERICA!!!" Deidara and Hidan hit his head at the same time. Itachi, however, sighed as he looked at his new surroundings.

'Yes,' He thought, glancing at Kisame. 'Hello America.'

* * *

Kisame smiled as he looked at Itachi. Again. Discreetly. He looked out of the window and agreed with Tobi earlier. 'Hey, America. You're bloody fast mobing and trafficky... or is this an everyday thing?' he asked the buildings and the occasional motorcycle and car that they passed.

They'd been usherd hurriedly to the hotel in a small bus, which a couple nicely assured would not be their touring vehicles. The guy was 27, and his name was Kitsuke, and the girl was Rin. All the bands had asked was that they be given some time to crash and kill the jetlag in their bones. Kisame decided he was going to catch up on some sleep himself, although he didn't seem to be in such dire need of it as Kakuzu, who was still a little airsick. 'Their pianist seems a little worried bout' that.' Kisame grinned and thought in amusement, as he watched Hidan shoot Kakuzu another glare.

Kisame watched as Itachi slept on the bus. It had been 30 minutes since they'd left the airport, and the couple said they would arrive in another 20. Apparantly, any hotel within a few miles of the Airport was almost always fully booked. It was annoying, yes, but it was true. Either way, they couldn't do anything about it except wait till they got there. He looked out of the window, not really registering the sights, which Sasori and Deidara were sharing their thoughts on. So Sasori had found another art fanatic. 'Good for him. He needs to get laid.' Kisame chuckled softly to himself, as he leaned into his usual resting position, his chin on a fist.

While he was caught up in his thoughts, they had reached their hotel. In a daze, Kisame was shaken out of his own little world and asked to get his bags. They were going ahead of him, and left him to wake Itachi. As Kisame gathered his things and wen tover to Itachi, he thought once again how much Itachi looked like Sohma and choked. 'Stop it. No matter what, Itachi's not Sohma. He's...' Kisame looked at Itachi, who had his head on a jacket, which he took from his bag and folded to make a pillow. His breathing was even, and his eyes shut. His face was pale and had fringe covering his left cheek. Kisame swept it out of the way and smiled. "He's Itachi."

Shaking him a little, Kisame whispered, "Itachi, get up. We're here." Itachi muttered for a second, and opened his eyes. Said Uchiha then heaved a sigh and rubbed his right eye, sitting up, and Kisame gave him room to move. "Where's here?" Itachi asked in a daze, and Kisame answere, "The hotel. The rest are already checking in. Come on." Itachi nodded, and grabbed his things. Once again, Kisame took his bag for him as he took his luggage.

"Think fast, Kisame."

Kisame caught a pair of key cards, and looked at Pein in confusion, who was already amidst shuffling papers. 'God, that guy has like, an endless amount of papers to shuffle. I bet he does it to look cool.' Kisame thought irritably, then he asked loud enough for Pein to hear, "What are these?" Pein looked at him for a second, before glancing at Konan. Konan smiled. "You and Itachi will be sharing not only a trailer, but you will be rooming together as well." Kisame stared at her for a minute, before widening his eyes. "HUH." he said, and Itachi frowned at him for a minute, and snatched one of the keycards.

"I'll be going to the room. If you want to switch with anyone else, that'll be fine by me." Itachi said emotionlessly, coldly, even. Kisame could not even reply before Itachi was in the lift, going up to their room. Konan rolled her eyes and pushed him toward the lift, away from Pein. The others must have gotten their asses to their rooms, because they were nowhere in sight. Konan pushed the up button and as they waited, she glared at Kisame. "That was a really stupid thing to do. You know what you looked like?" Kisame shook his head. Konan poked him. "You. Looked. Like. You. Didn't. Want. To. Room. With. Itachi. Do you really not want to room with Itachi?" she asked, and Kisame's eyes widened.

"I DID??! Oh shit... and no, rooming with Itachi just seemed... _unlikely_, that's all." Kisame replaced the original words of way-too-awesome-for-words with unlikely, to save time. And face, of course.

Konan nodded. "I suggest you go up right now and right it." she picked the keycard from his hand and waved it in front of his face. "404. Make sure you guys are comfortable." she said, and he took it from her, nodding as he got into the lift. He sighed inside, wondering why he made such stupid mistakes. As he outted the lift, he looked at the silver plates and followed the carpeted corridors to his and Itachi's room. Sighing, he inserted the key card and entered. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned. "Itachi, just now, what i did, i didn't mea..."

Itachi was in the midst of changing.

Kisame felt the blood shoot to his face as he saw Itachi pale coloured skin under a black shirt the other hastily pulled down. He was, thankfully, otherwise fully dressed. Itachi flushed beet red and looked away in order for Kisame not to see this. "What were you saying?" Itachi asked, and Kisame was at a loss for thought before remembering. "What i did earlier... I didn't mean to imply i didn't want to room with you." Kisame dumped his stuff on the floor and sighed. "The situation just seemed... unlikely." Kisame used the same words from before, wondering why when he was around Itachi, his vocabulary seemed to SHRINK.

Itachi turned to Kisame and smiled a small and tired smile. "Yeah, ok." he said simply, and he turned around. Kisame felt his temper flare, and before he could stop himself, took Itachi by the shoulder and whirled him around to face him. "No, it's not ok." Kisame stared down at Itachi's slightly shocked face. "You don't think it's ok, so i'm not ok with it. Seriously, Itachi, i'm fine with rooming with you. Actually, i'm glad rooming with you, so just..."

"You're glad rooming with me?" Itachi repeated, and Kisame, realising what he just said, looked away, knowing Itachi could see him blushing, probably a mile away or so. "... Well, yeah. I guess." Kisame said lamely, and Itachi tilted his head aside, letting his hair fall away from his face. He gave Kisame a smile. Kisame smiled back on instinct. It was a real smile.

He'd gotten to see Itachi's REAL smile.  
And so, it didn't really matter that Itachi turned away without saying another word.

* * *

Please Review!!

I haven't been on so long because of school... I HATE IT.  
I don't know anyone in my class, and my best friend's kind of drifting away...  
It feels really lonely sometimes.  
Hope i can update more often, so that i'll still keep all of you super online friends and readers. Thanks for being there.


	11. Chapter 11

_[Lol. okay, this is gonna be sorta long though. I'm mad at for not posting the whole thing. -_- lol. This was my review for chapter 10:_

_Yay! A new chapter! :) I love it! I read this yesterday but didn't review because I was doing homework. :) But now I can! Yay! (School is really interrupting my reading schedule)  
Anyway, I LOVE this chapter! Kisame walked in on Itachi! So cute. Now...they just need to walk in on each other in the shower... That would be sexy xD Oh! Or Sasori and Dei. That way Sasori can find out for sure that Dei is a guy! xD Sorry, I'm being fangirlish here... I love them! ^_^_

_Im glad you updated. I needed something to relieve my day. This is such a great story. (And I won't say awesome anymore. School ruins things, doesn't it?) O.O I still wanna know about Dei's past. Sorry I keep going back to Dei. He's my favorite. Yeah, he and Sasori are kawaii!  
Again, there isn't many ideas in this review because I'm tired from school. Oh! ITACHI SMILED!! YES! 3 So sweet! Kisame should make him smile more! But I wonder what he'll be like when or if he finds out about Sohma... It's so sad that Kisame sees Sohma everytime he looks at Itachi. :(_

_And I didn't even realize that you hadn't added Kakuzu's money-grubby-ness. Maybe he should be the treasurer xD Pein might not be good at math or something._

_Rather than a plane crash, since they are off the plane, there should be a car accident! As long as they aren't in a train, cause Deidara doesn't like trains. . Then again, Tobi doesn't like cars... but he has meds for that so... Yeah! I really would hate to see my favorite characters get hurt though... But it would be so cute to see them get all upset... But yeah...  
Oh! YES! DEI'S FANDOM PROBLEMS! I wanna see that SO bad! Will he get kidnapped? Maybe someone will be depressed and commit suicide right by him, scarring him for life forever... or maybe the rest of the band. Or maybe he'll get attacked by some jealous boyfriend because their lover is completely in love with him. O.O Maybe he'll be pushed/pulled off the stage into the rabid crowd of fanpeoples, in which all hell would break loose trying to get him out! AH! I need to know!_

_And as to your reply to my last review, yes, I have read your story 4 times. But... now its like, 6. And I just realized that Sasori was wearing a LEATHER COLLAR! Omg, you could totally put him on a leash! xD Dei's new fetish! Yum! And now that you've said that Dei has a weird reason for being there, I want to know even more. I hope he wasn't raped o.o But then again, emotional scars would give something for he and Sasori to talk about o.o Sasori could heal him! (lol, I'm really off the walls right now so sorry about my random hyperness with all the exclamation points and faces and stuff)_

_Thanks for loving my reviews :) I love writing reviews to your story. I like to talk, but I also like to be hypothetical about what will happen. Speaking of that, I wonder what will happen between Kakuzu and Hidan. Hidan is much softer in this story, which is great because Kakuzu seemed really mean at first. Now Kakuzu actually cares a little, but Hidan still has a mouth. O.O I wonder what will happen in their room...  
Speaking of rooms, Do Pein and Konan share a room? I mean, they've known each other since they were kids so its not like it hasn't happened before..._

_Oh, and how big are the rooms? I hope they are big so that they each get a bed... but if not, then oh well. ^_~ I'd prefer them to share. Dude, I think people act different at night. I can imagine Dei getting scared and crawling into Sasori's bed! Oh! Maybe that should happen after he gets attacked by rabid fangirls, if he gets attacked that is. If it were me, I would totally have nightmares about them for a long time. Or maybe his reason for joining the band will lead him to something... or maybe Hidans... hmmm... What is Kakuzu and Sasori's reasons for joining? And Zetsu too? Is Zetsu painted black and white in this one or not? I mean, his hair is still green, and he has yellow eyes, but I didn't know if he was painted or not._

_Ah! Now I'm asking questions again! This is a long review based on nothingness. o.o I'm just hyper. OH! By the way! Kisame carried Itachi's bags -squeals- I love it! SO cute! Kisame should totally admit his feelings for hi. When I read that Kisame grabbed Itachi's shoulder and whirled him around, I totally thought that he would kiss him. "I'm so mad that I could kiss you!" xD That's what it makes me think of._

_Oh wow... This review is getting really long. Oh! (again! Omg, I've said Oh! like, 40 times...'cept that's a bit of an exaggeration) I wonder if Itachi's hair is soft... I was just thinking about that for some reason. I bet it is. It looks soft... and Deidara's too... Kisame's looks like it would be covered in gel... and Sasori's looks soft, and Zetsu's.. well, I have trouble imagining Zetsu's hair with gel because its so short and I barely see Zetsu in the anime/manga. And Tobi's hair seems soft. And I don't know about Kakuzu either. Pein's hair needs gel most likely... yeah, but back to my first point. if Itachi's hair is soft, Kisame should find out. :) And if Deidara's hair is soft, I want to know if Itachi and Deidara share tips on how to keep their hair nice and pretty like that. And I wonder how much time they spend in the morning to do that. I mean, band members take forever to look good, right?_

_And I totally had a dream the other day that Itachi and Deidara had a "I'm sexier than you so shut up" argument. I wonder who would win. What do you think? I mean, Kisame would totally side with Itachi. And if it's Hidan, he would side with Itachi as well....and so would Tobi since its his cousin... And Sasori would be with Dei... and maybe Zetsu would go with Tobi... and Kakuzu probably wouldn't care. Ah! It might be Itachi! But that's only by support. I believe that Dei and 'Tachi are both equally sexy. :) (Though in different pictures, the sexiness level switches back and forth)_

_OMG! What if they got drunk?! xD Itachi could get depressed... I wonder how he would be drunk. Actually, I wonder how ANY of them would be drunk... Dei would probably be clingy... But a drunken kiss would be funny... and if someone kissed them back because they couldn't help it... yay! xD I'd laugh if Dei and Kisame got drunk and started making out, then Sasori walks in on them and he's like "KISAME I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" and drags Deidara away...What would Itachi do? yeah, I think I'm too cold to be typing right now cause my fingers are sore. Or maybe its this uberly long review. My grammar and spelling is getting awful... It was below -15 degrees today apparently o.o It was SO cold! Stupid Michigan and its crazy weather! Anyway, yeah, I should end this now since I am only aloud to have 3322 characters to type with. I've already used more than 6000 apparently. Ah! It will be long!_

_Sorry, I am getting really random so I think I will end this now. I'll copy this one and paste in on Microsoft word to make sure it goes through, just in case. . I don't want the same thing to happen that did in chapter 8. That would be dumb. Oh, and sorry I keep bringing up Deidara and Itachi and Kisame and Sasori. They are my favoritist couples. :) And my favoritist characters. SO CUTE! Anyway, again, can't wait for the next chapter. Especially since it might be a SasoDei one (FAVORITE COUPLE EVER!!!!)_

_Ugh, my mom is talking to me...and I have homework to do apparently. So I'll let you go now. I have to go do some Japanese. Oi... Shukudai ga daikirai desu nee.... ^_^ Byebye!]_

...  
Now People, that is what i call AMAZING.  
ShadowSorceress, You Have Done It AGAIN.  
I promised i'd post her review up here, because it simply wouldn't go on the reviews page!! How annoying.  
AN AWESOME SASODEI CHAPTER TO YOU!!!!!!!

And THE SAME AWESOME SASODEI CHAPTER DEDICATED TO ALL MY AWESOME REVIEWERS AND READERS TOO!!! [who should totally become reviewers... honestly, it would just take a minute!! ] *GETS SHOT AGAIN* X.X Holeh Moleh.

* * *

Deidara leaned on the silver railing. Outside the full wall window, a small veranda was placed, carefully with a silver railing so that no one would fall when on it, especially children. He sighed. Was he the only one who wasn't tired? 'Well, i did sleep alot on the plane, un, but that doesn't make much of a difference when it comes to jetlag, right, un.' he thought, and then he went back inside. It was beginning to get a little chilly. Clad in only a black shirt and white, baggy pants, he wasn't exactly fit to be outside.

As he stepped in on his ankle, he grinned. It had healed completely, and only ached a little like a blue black, but that was to be expected. He gave the sliding wall window a push, and clicked the lock into place. The curtains swished, and he placed his hands on the wndow, breathing softly. After a minute, he turned around.

Sasori was pulling his long coats onto provided hangers, humming a soft tune. Deidara shut his eyes as he fell into a deep red arm chair next to the veranda, looking out over the city. The hotel that they were at was a multi purpose building, so it was located on top of a shopping center. Even though they were only on the 4th floor of the hotel, it was still pretty high. He sighed, and Sasori looked at him. "You sigh alot, brat." Sasori said, and Deidara rolled his eyes. This guy, while he seemed nice on the plane, became pretty damned grumpy when he was tired. "Yeah, un. I'm bored..." Deidara admitted to the redhead, and Sasori tilted his head.

"Aren't you tired at all?" he asked, and Deidara considered this. "Not really, un. Just plain bored, un." Sasori walked over to the window and leaned against it, watching Deidara closely. Deidara soon grew likely unnerved by this attention and stood up. Sasori smiled. "So what do you wanna do?" he asked, and Deidara pressed his palms on the window, grinning. "Go out, un!!" He turned to Sasori excitedly. "I heard there's an art gallery really close by, un... I want to go see it!!!" he exclaimed, and Sasori's eyes widened slightly. "Really? An art gallery??" He looked out over the buildings. Deidara nodded. Sasori looked at the blonde for a bit, and Deidara was slightly uncomfortable with Sasori doing that, because he had no idea what the other was thinking.

Walking back to his closet, Sasori pulled out a coat. "Well?" he smiled at Deidara. "Feel like taking a walk, my blonde guitarist??"  
Deidara stiffened for a moment, and he turned his head away from Sasori, flushed. He could almost see the smirk on Sasori's face as he walked over to retreive a coat tossed on top of his unloaded suitcase. Making sure he had sufficient cash and the rest was locked in the safe, he nodded to Sasori. "Yeah, un. Let's go." he coughed. "And i'm not YOUR guitarist, un." he added quickly, and then walked ahead of Sasori to push the lift button.

Sasori smirked. Not yet, he meant.

They exited the lobby and got out into the open. Almost immediately, the difference in temperature and atmosphere was felt. Deidara was relieved he decided to grab his thicked coat instead of his black hoody. Sasori turned to Deidara. "By any chance, do you happen to know where this gallery is located?" he asked, and Deidara pointed down the road. "Glimpsed it on my way here, un. It won't be too far if we walk either, un." he said, and Sasori nodded. "Let's go then." he smiled, and Deidara nodded, his hair covering his face.

After about 15 minutes, they came to their destination. Sasori was tired of waiting, and was glad when they reached. Sensing the other's irritation, Deidara cocked his head. "Sasori, you dislike waiting alot, huh, un." he stated, and Sasori sighed. It was so obvious he didn't answer. Deidara smiled a cute smile, and Sasori turned away, pulling out a couple of notes and willing the blood away and down from his face. They each paid and received a ticket, which they slipped into their pockets.

Sasori was now usually left to tag behind Deidara, who went ahead of him in each room of the gallery. Excited, the blonde would simply not stop to wait for Sasori, who seemed to find viewing the pictures with intensity and time more important than the first impression they gave. Although Deidara was slightly irritated and impatient (he didn't much like waiting either, you know...), he knew that their views on Art clashed, and that wasprobably what caused Deidara to wait at the exit of each door for Sasori. As they moved to each new room, Sasori would take his time, usually finishing 10 to 15 minutes after Deidara was done.

Soon the gallery, both of them realized, began to get more crowded. Sasori was finding it increasingly difficult to find his way to Deidara after each room was scrutinised by him, and finally, even though it was slightly awkward, he held his hand out to Deidara. The blonde stared at it for a second. "What, un?" he asked Sasori, and Sasori scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's getting crowded. i guess the only thing to do is to view the paintings together, Dei chan." he said, smiling, and Deidara flushed bright red at the sound of such a girlish nickname.

"I'm a boy, dammit, un!! Treat me like one!!" he demanded, and he stalked in through the doors to the next room. Sasori frowned. Dang. Not according to plan. Well, he knew Deidara's gender for sure, now. "Deidara, wait." he said, and realizing his word were lost in the crowd, he walked into the next room.  
"Quit looking at me, dammit, un!!"  
Sasori froze.

Deidara was kind of pissed at Sasori at the moment, but he wasn't expecting something like this to happen. It was bad enough he was glomped in Japan, now he had guys coming onto him too? He growled. Did he looked THAT feminine? Ok, DON'T answer. 3 guys were looking him up and down, and Deidara didn't like it. Not one bit. He glared at them, but he mustn't have presented much of a threat, because they just continued smirking. Seeing this, Sasori made his way over. He was kind of pissed, although he tried not to let it show.

"Deidara." he said firmly, and the blonde stared at him for a second. "Let's go. We're done here." Sasori said, glaring at the 3 boys, who glared back, but thankfully, left. Deidara was pulled into the last room by Sasori, and then Sasori turned to face him. This room was emptier. "Deidara, does that happen often?" Sasori asked, and Deidara turned away, not really wanting to answer such a question. Sasori sighed and rolled his eyes, hands folded. "Well, then, too bad. You're not having a choice now." he said, and flushing slightly, he held Deidara's hand. Deidara, surprised by the contact, flushed bright red behind Sasori, who pulled him to view the first painting. They paused.

Then it happened.

Deidara began to cry.

* * *

Sasori understood immediately.

Which wasn't simple, because Deidara looked to other people to be crying for no apparant reason. He smiled as Deidara stared wide eyed in wonder at a painting hung on the wall, a single one, on a red scaped background. It was huge, about 3 metres in length and 2 in height. It had a picture of several people, in a mixture of activities. One was singing, one was swimming, one was running. There were many more.

But right in the middle of the painting, was 2 people, seated opposite each other. They had palettes in their hands, and an apron on. The 2 were completely symmetrical. It was amazing. They were... Painting each other.

Sasori smiled as he marveled the perfection of such a beautiful piece. He knew the artist that did this, and he never drafted his works. To be able to paint something so wonderful without prior planning... It was absolutely amazing. And Sasori acknowledged that. He knew it was amazing, and he was glad that Deidara knew it too. Why else would he be crying? He leaned his forehead on Deidara's, though, and said softly, "Stupid. Stop crying." Deidara opened his eyes slowly. Sasori smiled at him.

Sasori had cried, too.

Deidara, without speaking, nodded as Sasori supported him to stand up straight. They continued scrutinising the picture, and for once, Deidara was silent as he looked at every fine detail on the canvas. This was it. This was how Art touched millions. This was what every artist hoped to achieve, and this one had achieved it. Fully, completely, and perfectly.  
Sasori smiled as his tears dried up, and his grip on Deidara's hand tightened. Nervously, he awaited Deidara's reaction.  
Deidara squeezed his hand in return, and Sasori smiled. Deidara, face flushed, smiled as well. They exited the gallery.

All in all, the exhibition took up an hour of their time. But it was so worth it, to view so many marvellous pieces, to see how the pieces they had viewed could pierce the heart to the extent that physically, something like tearing up was possible. It was all worth it. Sasori looked down at his and Deidara's hands, which were still linked. He smiled. It was worth it because he was with Deidara, too.

'Wait, wait. NO. No. It was worth it because of the art. That's all.' Sasori thought, and then his subconciousness immediately jumped in to argue that he should just accept that he was attracted to Deidara. _After all, if you keep denying and denying it, you might eventually end up doing something stupid with your pent up tension._Sasori growled. He wished this "little voice in his head", and many liked to call it, would just GO AWAY. It was bugging him on the plane, it was bugging him in the hotel, and it was bugging him NOW. Back at the hotel, Sasori remembered how he couldn't help but watch as Deidara leaned on the railing, looking out to the city curiously. It reminded him of a painting he had seen in Paris, and exhibition typed [MysterY], where a piece by Yamakoji Soubi was put up. It featured a girl, looking over the city.

And it's main theme was Perfection.  
Sasori looked at Deidara, who was still sniffling a bit. 'He really does look beautiful.' Sasori thought, blushing. 'Even more beautiful than a girl.'

"What'cha thinking, un." Deidara asked, and Sasori was taken aback. He smiled. "Nothing. Let's go back to the hotel?" he asked, and Deidara shook his head. "Aren't you hungry, un? I'm hungry, un." he said, and Sasori shook his head. "Honestly, Deidara. Don't ask questions you're going to answer yourself." he smirked, and Deidara flushed, rolling his eyes. Sasori nodded. "Alright, there has got to be a cafe on our way back. We'll try some side streets if we don't come across any in a while." he said, and Deidara grinned. "Ok!! Yay, let's get something dessert-ish!!!"  
"Dessert-ish ain't a word, punk." Sasori smirked at Deidara, who grinned even wider in reply.

Sasori stopped. He turned to Deidara and using the back of his hand, brushed the boy's tearstains, erasing them completely. Then he turned and continued.  
Deidara stiffened for a minute, before being pulled along by Sasori. 'What just happened, un?!' he thought.

Sasori smiled as he pulled Deidara into a cute cafe. A waitress popped by the entrance and grinned, jabbing a thumb at herself. "I'm Ashleigh, and i'll be your waitress today, punks!! Table for 2??" she asked quickly, and Sasori nodded calmly. The waitress was just as bubbly as one of them maid girls in those fan service cafes. He was a little used to those. Just a little. Often, he was pulled into them with the band by some perverted old record dealer with Pein. Although perturbed, the band would humor the dealer as much as possible before makiing their excuses and going off.

Deidara smiled at the waitress, receiving the menu with both hands. He opened it and turned to Sasori. "You want to eat something, un?" Sasori sat closer to him and look at the menu himself. Deidara shifted a little, before relaxing next to Sasori. For a second, Sasori forgot what he was doing by thinking that he didn't feel like moving for about maybe the next day or two. Then he refocused on the menu, mentally cursing himself. "What do you think you're getting?" he asked Deidara, and the blonde had a disappointed look on his face as he said, "I was thinking the chocolate parfait, but it's huge, un!! I don't think i can finish it, un."

Sasori nodded to Ashleigh, and said simply, "One chocolate parfait. I'll, um, share it with him." he said, gesturing to Deidara, and Ashleigh saluted. "Alrighty, Chocolate Parfait... anything else?" Ashleigh noted, and while Deidara looked incredulously at Sasori, Sasori shook his head, an emotionless expression on his face. Then, as Ashleigh walked away, Deidara slumped over the clean table, sighing and clutching his head in mock agony. "AHHH, Sasori, I give up, un!! I can never tell what you're thinking, un!!" he said, and Sasori smirked as he reached for Deidara's face. Holding Deidara's chin, he turned the other to face him.

"Isn't that what makes it fun, Dei chan?" he said slowly, and Deidara flushed bright red. Turning away, he muttered, "I thought i told you not to call me that, un..." he muttered, and Sasori smiled, ruffling Deidara's blonde hair. Instinctively, Deidara reached up to put it right again. They waited for the chocolate parfait, which took about 15 minutes.

NO WONDER.

"Oh My God." Sasori said in staccato. Deidara laughed at his face as he blanched. "It's HUGE." he emphasized on the huge, and Ashleigh chuckled. "Here in Amirca, everything's huge. Even the burgers!! Unless they're kids burgers... but you know what i mean." she laughed, and she walked away. For a second, Deidara and Sasori stared at her and pondered her unjustifieable randomness, and then they stared at the huge dessert in front of them. Deidara hastily picked up his spoon and grinned as Sasori picked his up in an ExTremeLy hesitant way.

"Itadakimasu, un!!" Deidara said happily, and Sasori muttered a quieter and slightly fearful, "Itadakimasu."

[30 minutes later]

"That was delicious, un!! And have i mentioned i don't think i'll eat another thing for about... say... forever, un??" Deidara added, twirling the spoon between his fingers boredly as Sasori stared at him in amazement. The redhead had stopped eating about, what, 10 or 15 minutes ago? Deidara had singlehandedly handled almost 3 quarters of the parfait, and Sasori couldn't help but wonder where he put all of it. 'Since he has such an awesome bod... GOD. DAMN. IT. I AM GONNA PAY NAO.' Sasori stressed, and Deidara started as Sasori bumped his knee against the table in his thoughts. Wincing, Sasori walked over to the counter.

After they paid, Deidara fidgeted a little behind Sasori. Sasori stared at him after they had gone ten paces back to the hotel. "What's wrong, Deidara. You look like you need to piss." he said, laughing as he quirked an eyebrow. Deidara frowned for a second, before reaching out and taking Sasori's hand again. Sasori stared for a second. Then he relaxed his hand and smiled at Deidara. "If that was all you wanted..." he held Deidara's hand firmly. Deidara flushed, and they resumed their pace.

In the lobby, Sasori stopped and said softly to Deidara, "I'm glad we went out today."  
Deidara smiled at him, his free hand scratching the back of his head. "Me too, un."  
"And that painting..." Sasori whispered, "I'm glad we saw it together."

Deidara smiled. It was like the perfect scene. Then he coughed awkwardly. "Well, i'm glad, for one, un, that we shared the parfait, un. Don't think i could have finished it myself, un." he said, and Sasori smirked at him. "Really, i think you could have finished it yourself, Deidara."

"What's that supposed to mean, un!! Could not, un!!"  
"Could too. You finished 3 quarts of it."  
"Well... whatever, un. It was nice, anyway, un."  
Sasori smiled.

"Yes. Yes it was."

* * *

Please Review.

YOU MAY STONE ME, MY GOOD PEOPLE!!!! X.X X.X X.X X.X X.X *gets "keyboarded" instead* You lazy peoples!! Couldn't even find stones!!! 0.o  
LOL, just kidding. One word came to mind while i was writing... BLAND... HOLEH MOLEH, BLAND BLAND BLAND!!!  
But i liked it when Sasori said NAO. It was an idea that popped when my friend shouted it at me via MSN 8D Lol, wierd inspiration, i know.  
And then when i was going over my draft my subconciousness was telling me it was too PLAIN and i was all, YOU'RE TELLING ME, WISEASS?!! OFFER SOME IDEAS THEN!!! And it became all quiet like.  
Which goes to show subconciousness-es clearly do NOT have imaginations 0.o

Please REVIEW to encourage Thanks to all who do!!!!!!!


	12. Chapter 12

Alrighty, thanks for the reviews!!! The long AND short ones, although i like LONG ones... *gets little sister-ed* 0.o Whut.  
SasoDei was good? REALLY?? Hardly =A=" Well, glad there were people who liked it, though... Thanks for the ideas given!! ^^  
You guys like Kakuzu and Hidan??  
Theres a chapter coming up right now :D So enjoy. (I hope.)

PSST. *whispers* I'M JUST MAKING THIS UP AS I GO ALONG!!! OH NOES 0.O THINGS NEVER EVER TURN OUT GOOD THAT WAY ==" X.x

* * *

"Is everyone here?" Kitsuke got on his tip toes and did a quick count. "2, 4, 6, 8, 10. A'ight. Looks like we can go now." He turned to Rin. She nodded, and a trailer came to where the taxi stand was. Hidan sighed tiredly as he followed. They were on their way to dinner, where discussion over the band gigs would proceed. Absently, Hidan wondered if ice cream would be a find at the restaurant.

Rin sat right at the back of the trailer, and Kitsuke smiled as the rest of them got settled in one corner or another. "This is one of the trailers you'll be using, they're kind of... all the same." Kitsuke announced, and Hidan nodded. He thought so. The trailer had a bathroom at the back, 2 beds, double deckered, a couch, a sink with a cupboard on top of it next to a freezer and a refridgerator. Then there were a couple of armchairs with a small table in between. "Sweet. This could e comfier than i thought." Hidan thought, and Itachi looked out of the window as Kisame sat next to him. Hidan could tell Itachi was trying not to be alerted by this action. He grinned and looked away.

Outside, the streets were clean and the concrete was a light grey. The sky was rapidly darkening, and soon the area was lit by streetlights. Hidan looked at Kakuzu. That afternoon, Kakuzu had mostly slept, and Hidan noted that Kakuzu was still as a rock when he slept. It was... kind of comforting because it looked like he would never move. 'But... it's disturbing because it's like he was dead too.' Hidan thought, frowning at Kakuzu, who was, at the moment, chatting with Kisame. Kitsuke clapped, and everyone paid attention.

"Alright, everyone, listen up. The trailers a little big, so we're going to park it here, and then we're going to walk to the restaurant. We've got a reservation for 13, an extra seat by mistake... But that's ok... Rin?" Kitsuke nodded to her, and Rin continued, "Yes. But you should all stay close, because this street is pretty dark and you might get mugged or something like that. It's not VERY likely, but still. It's a few minutes walk." she ended, and Kitsuke held up his hand. "Ok, all, let's go."

They stepped down the bus, and Itachi turned to thank the driver, who smiled and nodded. They walked and turned into a side street. Hidan looked up at the sky. The weather and climate was different... already the sky was dotten with stars. It appeared to be a clear night. 'It won't rain today.' he thought, and he looked in front of him. He saw a girl.

She had her hair chopped to a short do, messy and to her shoulders, but had the facial features of a girl. Her clothes were dirty and stained, and her face had a bit of grime on it. Hidan froze up as she smiled at them when they walked past. "Good evening." she said simply, and Hidan's eyes widened. Kakuzu noted this observantly, but made no movement. Itachi had stopped, though, and Deidara stopped behind him. Tobi was already rooted, at the back of the whole group, next to Zetsu. He was watching Hidan. Itachi, Deidara and Tobi knew about Hidan's past in the orphanage. They had the same thought on their minds...  
'What's he going to do?'

Hidan gulped for a second, and walked on. As he turned, he muttered back, a small, soft, "Good evening."  
It was all he did.  
For now.

Itachi knew as well as Deidara as well as Tobi that Hidan was 90% certain to come back. And as Hidan walked, Kakuzu noted his determined expression. Maybe Kakuzu knew, maybe he didn't. Either way, they made not another stop till they reached the restaurant. A waiter came to the entrance. He was attired formally, and he took them to a private room on the second floor, leaving them with 12 menus. He looked at the 13th seat for a second. "Shall i bring an extra menu?" he asked, and before anyone could say anything, Hidan nodded. "Yes." then he turned to Itachi, muttered something and walked back out of the room, and down the stairs.

"Where's he going?" Kisame asked Itachi, and Deidara replied for him, "To get that girl to eat with us, un."  
Hidan walked out of the restaurant, and went back to where the girl was. A couple passed him, in their hurry to get away from the girl. Hidan growled at this and muttered, "Freaking bastards." he stopped in front of the girl. She cocked her head. "You're that man from before. With the 11 other people." He nodded, took a look next to her, and dropped onto a clean looking folded cardboard box, next to the one she was sitting on. "So..." Hidan scratched the back of his head. She smiled politely.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, and Hidan turned to her. "Yeah. There is." he said, and she turned to him. Putting a hand behind her ear, she said, "All ears." Hidan pointed in the direction the couple had travelled before. "They. They're the freaking problem. Don't you feel bothered when people freaking look at you like you're something on the bottom of their freaking shoe? I mean, freaking respect people. Come on!!" He said angrily, and she smiled. Hidan noted that smile.

It was his smile in the past.  
That tired, unconcerned smile. That smile that bore pain, a smile that held nothing aside from hurt and disdain. A smile that could pierce the soul, and one that was painful to even look at. It hurt. Hidan hurt. He hurt right now, looking at her smile so purely. Purely out of kindness, not for herself, but for him. She was selfless, and would smile no matter how people would treat her. That forgiving nature was rare, and sad.  
Very very sad.

"It's alright." she looked up at the sky. "People like that are dime a dozen." she folded her arms and smiled again. Hidan looked at her, as her hands gripped her arms tightly. "You're a freaking smart girl, you know that? Did'ja go to school?" Hidan asked, and she bopped her head. "When I still had my mom. She's gone now, so i can't go anymore. But i can read and stuff like that." she said, smiling as she spoke.

Hidan looked her way and sighed. "Sometimes i wonder why there are so many freaking cute kids like you out on the streets. Kids like you have a freak-load of potential." he said, and Kamelot brushed her sleeve. "Well, i do some odd jobs here and there to get me through with enough food. Making a living on the streets is pretty relaxed. The idea of living is simple. Eat, sleep, work, water, and shelter are the usual concerns... For me though..." She flushed. "This might seem obnoxious, but i still enjoy going to the public library on certain days. A boy will be there on most days, and sometimes he teaches me."

Hidan focused on the boy part first. "Yeah? What do you know about him?" The girl flushed, even though she smiled. "He's a very nice person. But he's from a well-to-do family, and even if he likes me, his parents won't let him date such a person like me, i should think."

WOW. Hidan gulped. Talk about dejavu.

"Why would that seem obnoxious?? All you want to do is learn, after all." Hidan changed the subject, and the girl sighed. "When you're on the streets, and you've got a wanting to learn and get an education, many think it's an extravagant longing, and sometimes think you're just trying to be a smartass with them." she said, and Hidan nodded. He laughed bitterly. "Hah, well, you freaking know it." he scratched his head, and several silver locks fell over his eyes.

"Used to be just like you." Hidan said, and he smiled a genuine smile at Kamelot. "Freaking loved it, too. I had parents, but they had no freaking control over me. I just ran when i freaking felt like it. Felt good." he confided, and the girl nodded. "Yeah. I kind of like it like this." she fingered her chopped hair. "I was growing this out. But i think maybe i should cut it to a simple hairdo." Hidan looked at her. "Man, if Itachi or Deidara were here..." he said, laughing. Said band members were well known for their wierd hair rituals and the like. Hidan didn't bother much about his hair, but Itachi and Deidara bothered for both him and Tobi, who simply shook out his hair and hardly combed it throughout the day.

The girl smiled, and Hidan said hurriedly, "Well, those 2 are part of the group just now... I'm in the band." Her eyes widened, and she asked, "You're in a band? What do you play?" "Keyboard, and piano too." Hidan said simply, and the girl smiled. "Must be nice. Not all of the people are in your band, right?" she questioned Hidan, and he shook his head. "4 of them are a seperate band, and we're on a group tour. 2 are our managers, and the other 2 are a couple taking us around here." She nodded. "A group tour, huh..." she muttered thoughtfully.

Hidan gave her a smile. "I'm Hidan. You?" "My name's Kamelot. Nice to meet you, Hidan san." she said, and Hidan sighed.

"Look Kamelot... you don't mind if i call you Kamelot, right." "Nope." "Well, I've got a problem on my hands. What if i told you i like one of them guys from the group just now? How should i deal with it?" Kamelot thought this through. Hidan started as she turned to him. "I think you should just go for it." she said strongly, and Hidan shut one of his eyes, an elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand. "What makes you say that? The guy could be a freaking bastard for all you know." he said, and then thought 'Well, he kinda freaking IS.'

Kamelot sighed. "But if you can love that 'freaking bastard'..." she did a couple of air apostrophes, "I think you should still go for it. For all you know, you could turn him to being non-bastard...ish." she smiled a crooked smile, and Hidan laughed. "I guess." he replied, and she chuckled. Hidan looked at his watch. Kamelot saw this and said patiently, "Go. Your friends must be waiting."

Hidan stood up and brushed his pants. Then he offered his hand to her.  
"Join us for dinner?"

* * *

'There he is.' Kakuzu thought absently, and Hidan pushed the door open. Next to him was the girl from before. 'Be receptive. And nice.' Kakuzu told himself, and Hidan said, "Her name's Kamelot, she's joining us for dinner, ok?" Itachi nodded, and Konan smiled. Kamelot sat in between Hidan and Konan. The rest gave a curt nod or smiled at Kamelot. She smiled back on default.

"We didn't order for you, un. We didn't know what you wanted." Deidara said hastily, and Hidan nodded, passing a menu to Kamelot as he took one for himself. Kamelot looked at Hidan for a second, and Hidan muttered, "Whatever you like." he looked at the menu himself, and nodded to Itachi, who called the waiter. He came back in, noted the extra face, and mentally registered to get a glass of water. Kamelot pointed to a dish, and Hidan ordered for her, and tossed in a coke.

Konan coughed. "So... Kamelot. What did Hidan talk to you about?" Konan asked candidly, and Kamelot laughed a cheery laugh. "Nothing much about you guys, just that he was in a band, on a group tour, and there are 8 band members, 2 managers and a couple who's bringing them around the area." she said, and Konan smiled. "I see. Well, I'm Konan. And I'm the manager for the band Akaku!!" Konan grinned, and Kamelot nodded. "Wow. you must work very hard!!"

'She shows respect for other's work that she probably doesn't understand.' Kakuzu thought. He liked the girl. She was... nice. And polite.

Deidara laughed. "Hah, un!! Konan slacks, she doesn't work, un." he said boldly, and Konan lifted her fork in the air and stood up, "HAH??! What's that, you PUNK??!" Deidara cowered, and Hidan rolled his eyes. Kamelot smiled and giggled. Itachi reached for his utensils, rescuing them from Konan as she bangs her fist on the table before sitting down. The waiter came back with a glass of water.

Kakuzu looked at Hidan. 'I guess he has a soft spot for kids like her.' he said, as Hidan gave Kamelot a small smile. She drank the water and made small talk with Konan. Tobi was being all hyper and screaming he was a good boy, 'Honestly, we GET IT, Tobi...' Kakuzu thought irritably, Itachi and Kisame were talking softly, Sasori was stirring his tea and blowing on it boredly. Pein was reading the newspapers... When was he not reading something anyway?? Kakuzu stared at Hidan.

Hidan was looking at Kamelot, watching her movement, and sighing. Putting a hand on Hidan's shoulder, Kakuzu asked softly, "What's wrong with you?" Hidan was slightly angered by the comment. "Freaking nothing, ok." he said sharply, and as Kakuzu softened his glare against him, Hidan sighed. "It's just that... I used to be one of those kids. And everyone looks down on them, but i mean... sometimes it's better living without worrying about tomorrow, and that's really what life on the streets did to you, you know?" Hidan said, and Kakuzu smiled a private smile, concealed by his mask.

"Well, she's living a good life. Isn't that all you should be worrying about?" Kakuzu said, and Hidan shook his head, frowning. "But it still pissed me off!! People looking down on Kamelot just isn't fair. She's a freaking awesome girl, and just cause she likes it outside doesn't mean she should be ostracised by everyone like that!!" the albino said angrily, and Kakuzu nodded. "I know, Hidan. But life's like that. It's unfair." Kakuzu said softly, and Hidan ignored this, pouting as he turned back to Kamelot.

'Oh My God that was so cute.' Kakuzu thought, then he palmed his face and shut his eyes. He needed to clear his head. Honestly. Hidan was an annoying brat with nothing for Kakuzu to gain from. 'But he took care of you on the plane.' his conscience reminded him, and Kakuzu grudgingly admitted this was true. But it still didn't mean he should give into liking Hidan. 'Besides. He's from another band. Once the Group Tour is over, we won't see each other anymore, like now.' Kakuzu thought. Then he sighed.  
Why did that get him so DOWN??!

'Just stop thinking about it.' Kakuzu thought, as he tuned back into the conversation taking place.  
"HELLO?!?! EARTH TO KAKUZU."  
'WHAT!?! WHATWHAT??!' Kakuzu's immediate thoughts reflected, then he calmed himself and looked at Sasori, who'd spoken. "Yeah, sorry, what?" Sasori sighed. "I thought you'd zoned out. Asking if we can do version 3 of Geek In The Pink." he smirked, and Kakuzu understood why. He also understood why Sasori was looking at Deidara, even if the blonde didn't.

Version 3 of Geek In The Pink for Tsukisa was a song whereby they usually had employed dancers to come in, and they'd perform accordingly. Kakuzu wasn't so sure he wanted to perform how he usually did with Hidan. That might not... turn out well. Still... he couldn't show Sasori up.  
"Y... yeah, Sure." he replied, and Sasori nodded.

"Well then, Tsukisa's performing Geek In The Pink, Nails For Breakfast Tacks For Snacks and for closing, What Hurts The Most." Pein confirmed.  
"And Akaku's performing Attention for opening, Cantarella and Life Is A Highway, the remix." Konan said, smiling.  
"Sweet, when's the first gig scheduled?" Hidan asked, as the food came in through the doors. Konan waited for Pein to speak, who ignored her, watching the food get set on the table. He ate his steak silently, and Konan sighed. "About that. There's an open gig at the local stadium in 2 days." she said, and Kakuzu, who was his fork poised to stab, dropped it promptly. He glared at Pein, who sharply turned his head to avoid this.

Kisame paused, his hand in midair. "That's Not Fair, Pein." he glared like Kakuzu. Pein focused SOLELY on his food and nothig else. Kamelot raised her hands in a gesture of peace. "Hey now... everyone calm down." she said. Konan held her hands up in the same gesture, hiding behind Kamelot a little. "Yeah, relax, you guys..." she said, shivering, and Itachi rolled his eyes. "First, we only knew about the flight and even the ENTIRE tour a day before. And now this?" he played with his food. "What an annoying twist of events." he muttered, sulking for a minute. Kisame laughed at his sour expression, telling him to lighten up.

Sasori frowned, but Deidara smiled widely. "Like a game, un!!" he said, grinning. He turned to Hidan, and Hidan nodded. They made twin hand gestures in a tick and Hidan said, "Just like a game... as long as we beat time, we can beat the boss." Deidara nodded and smirked. "We're gonna make this work, un." he looked at Itachi. "Right, Itachi, un??" Itachi sighed, and palmed his face. Tobi was looking unusually passive, though he was looking at Itachi out of the corner of his eye. Zetsu noted this duely.

Itachi nodded, setting his fork down. "Of course." he said, grinning. A matching expression came on Tobi's face. "The competition is compelling me to be excited. Konan," he called, and she looked at him. "Was the gig all planned out already?" he asked, and Konan considered this. "It's not a big gig. We could find make up artists and the like from the studio branch here, but other than those petty things... stuff like stage crew and lighting have already been taken care of." she clarified, and Itachi nodded. "Then all that's left are the songs?" he asked, and Konan nodded.

Pein looked up, having finished his food. The rest were halfway through. "The gig's going to be pretty close here." Hidan looked at Kamelot. "Then you can come, Kamelot." he said, smiling, and Deidara grinned widely. "Yeah, Kamelot chan, you can get to the band gig place, right, un??" he asked, and Kamelot shrugged. "Maybe... 2 days is a wednesday." she smiled at Hidan. He nodded. "Appointment in the library, huh." he said, and Kemalot blushed. Konan smiled and took Kamelot's hands. "We have SO MUCH to talk about." They turned away from the group. When Sasori's eyebrow quirked, Hidan answered, "It's typical girl stuff."

No one needed to question after this. They all returned to their food. Kakuzu finished his in a split second as he always did, and his mask was back on almost immediately. Hidan noted this was some amusement, and he continued with his own food.  
The rest of dinner was about songs, solos, and occasional squeals from Konan. The reactions were one sided, even though Kamelot went, "Shh!! SHH!!!" once in awhile. After everyone was done, including Kamelot, Pein and Kitsuke went off to settle the bill. Hidan stretched, and looked at Kamelot. She smiled at him and turned back to answer Konan's 98th question. Kakuzu looked at Hidan.

He tugged at Hidan's sleeve, and the albino turned to look at him. Leaning toward Hidan, Kakuzu whispered, "You're very cute, behaving like a child and taking strangers to dinner with you." he said, honestly meaning it. Hidan flushed and whispered back, "She's different. Stop freaking spiting me, Kakuzu. Leave me the hell alone if all you want to do is freaking tease me." he tried to turn his head, but Kakuzu turned it back. "I'm not spiting you, Hidan. I said you're cute. Is there a problem with that? What did you want me to say?" Hidan didn't answer.

"That you're selfish? Stupid? Pathetic, foolish?" Kakuzu whispered, and then he folded a strand of hair behind Hidan's ear discreetly. "But then i'd be lying." he said, and Hidan looked at him. He smiled a small smile under his mask. "And do you always tell the truth, Kakuzu?" Hidan asked softly, and Kakuzu nodded. "Yes." he said. "Yes I do."  
Hidan looked back to Kamelot, a very light tint of pink still on his face, which subsided quickly, replaced by a smile.

Kakuzu looked at Hidan out the corner of his eye. 'I do not love this man. He is but a musician i will be working with, not a lover.'  
He sighed.

It was probably a lie.

* * *

Please Review.

Nearly forgot to include my little rant here... =="  
I HATE SCHOOL.  
My parents want to send me to a shrink. They think i'm getting depressed.  
Maybe i am. But a shrink?? God. That's... well, drastic.  
please review? It's only take a little time.


	13. Chapter 13

Today, i confess.  
MY FINGERS HURT LIKE HELL. OMG.  
Please forgive any spelling mistakes hereon out. My fingers HURT like HELL. You see, i'm picking up the guitar, and apparantly, you gotta push on the strings REALLY hard to get a FULL, ALL-ROUNDED sound from an acoustic. [people usually start from classical, but i had to start from acoustic because my sister only has 2 guitars, an electric and an acoustic. she teaches me using the electric.] So now i just can't type properly. After i get used to it and learn more, i'm going to get on with it and learn the Electric!! XDXDXD Wish me luck.

Now, onto the chapter!! Now... it should be... Tobi and Zetsu. Enjoy!!  
[I had to listen to the same song for like, 50 times to come up with the instrumental cues... ZOMG.]

* * *

Tobi woke up.

"Mmph..." He stretched. yawning, he sat up. 'Zetsu's still asleep.' he thought, looking over at Tsukisa's best drummer, as he smiled. He had the window bed, and he pulled the curtain a little to let in some light, just a little so that the other wouldn't wake up. He took out his cell phone and observed. The night before, he had bought a new sim card, and wondered if he could send messages all the way to Japan. 'It's worth a shot.' he thought, and he angled his cell so that the little light from the window was thrust upon the communicative device.

_Madara san.  
Tobi here, just to inform you. I have bought a new cell card, so the number is different.  
Itachi, me and the others are well. We are also, however, in America.  
I assure you this information wasn't kept deliberately from you, unless it was from the band.  
2 days ago, we were informed of a group tour with another band named Tsukisa.  
The flight was yesterday, and we are beginning rehearsals today for a public gig tomorrow.  
Aside from the fact that the tour lasts somewhere around 2 months, i believe, I have nothing left to report.  
Thank you for your time.  
Tobi.  
PS, please reply so that i may confirm this is an acceptable mode of contact._

Tobi proof read the message and nodded. It sounded fine. He hit send after typing in the number and leaned back on the bed, sighing. He deleted the message history and tossed the phone in his bag. He was kind of bored. Twirling his fingers in the blanket, he looked up at the ceiling.

The night before, the entire group had left the restaurant fairly full, and Itachi and Deidara didn't want to spend the night holed up in the Hotel With Kamelot, they walked around town, and she took them to places that sold punk attire, and gothic acessories. They'd spent some, and afterward, took her to a hair styling salon, which cut her shoulder length hair, previously hacked to a convenient length, into a Victoria Beckham concave bob, and then dyed it to a full matte black, washing it out (even though it seemed pretty well taken care of for a kid on the streets) and lastly, blow-dried it so that it had a nice bounce.

Next, they'd taken to one of those American all nighters shopping malls, and had gotten her a nice change of clothes. Not too fancy, but nice. A black polo shirt, and white knee capris. Much nicer on her than the white cotton shirt and red shorts she'd had on before. While they stopped at a cafe for Hidan to have some ice cream, Deidara put a plait in her hair and tied it with a small black ribbon in his pocket. He always had one in case he lost the one he was using.

Kamelot, while having fun, was a little embarassed with all the attention, and mostly spoke only to Hidan and Deidara. While they were at the Cafe, Tobi sat next to Zetsu, whom he had realised was watching him most of the evening. Tobi didn't mind. He was quite flattered by the attention, though not exactly sure what had attracted such a hot guy like Zetsu to him. He thought of himself as a pretty down to eath kind of guy. 'I have got to stop having these thoughts... they distract me from making my music.' Tobi thought, sighing once again.

Absently, Tobi stared at Zetsu. In a thin black cotton shirt, he shivered, and pulled the comforter up, reaching out and turning the AC down. They day before, while fun, had been filled with thoughts of Zetsu, and that bothered Tobi some. He had not listened to his Music Player the entire night, and when Itachi noticed this, he was puzzled. Back at the hotel, Itachi had questioned Tobi in the lobby after the rest had went back up to their rooms.

_"Tobi, is something wrong?" The stoic man asked. Tobi tilted his head to a side, adopting his goofy grin, which hid his true feelings... 'I am deceiving you and Akaku about my place here as a member. I like men. I swear in my head thousands of times a day. I thought about Zetsu the entire night. I hate kiwis and have bad grinning cramps.' He coughed.  
"No, Itachi. Tobi's a good boy, nothing's wrong." he said, acting innocently as he referred to himself as a thrid party. Itachi sighed, glanced at the elevator which Zetsu and Kisame had entered earlier on, and then back at Tobi. "Alright. If there's anything wrong, you can always share it with me or the band. Good night, Tobi." He turned to the lift.  
Tobi nodded respectfully behind Itachi's back. "Good night, Itachi." he walked out into the night and considered a brief smoke, and discarded the idea. Going back to a desperate lifestyle for even 5 minutes held no appeal._

Listening to the whir of the air conditioner was satisfying, Tobi realised, as he gradually grew warmer and to an acceptable temperature. This was when Zetsu awoke, and stretched. "Good morning, Zetsu." Tobi said, smiling. Then he stopped.

Zetsu was in a thin white shirt that left very little to the imagination, and black track pants. As he sat up, Tobi observed his muscles and toned torso, swallowing as his throat quickly DEhydrated. Then he shook himself and looked at Zetsu, who yawned. "Morning, Tobi..." Zetsu said, and he smiled, running a hand through his touselled dark green hair. Tobi resisted the urge to walk over and ran his hair through the chopped hair himself, and instead settled for turning 90 degrees to set his feet on the group, mirroring Zetsu's current position.

"I guess I should go and wash and brush up." Tobi told Zetsu, smiling as he made his way to the bathroom, leaving the other to wake up fully. He picked his toothpaste from his small green bag which he'd unpacked yesterday night before he went to bed, and started his usual morning routine. He brushed and washed his face throughly. Although his hair wasn't VERY important to him like it was to Itachi and Deidara, his teeth was. They were still white and pearly, like they were from youth. Tobi was proud of his teeth. 'Why am I thinking about teeth? Stupid author.' Tobi thought.

Zetsu, outside, was looking through a list of numbers to the others' rooms. "Tobi!! I'm going to call one of the others for today's plans, ok??!" He shouted, and Tobi gave him a muffled positive while brushing his teeth. Embarassed, he spat out the colgate induced mass and wiped his face.

"Kakuzu? It's Zetsu." Zetsu said into the receiver, and Tobi sat down on his face, distracting himself with the mid morning sun. Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was already 11:34. Wondering why they'd been allowed to sleep in instead of prepare for the gig the next day, Tobi listened in on Zetsu's end of the conversation."But... What? Now??" Zetsu covered the earpiece, letting out a monotone "Ow". Tobi could hear Hidan yelling on the other side for him. Zetsu held out the phone, wincing still. "Hidan wants to, um, talk to you." he said, and Tobi, laughing, took the phone from him.

"Yeah, Hidan?" he asked, and Hidan said, "YOU GUYS SLEPT IN SO FREAKING LATE!! I WAS SO BORED!!!" this was followed by a statement from Kakuzu, "No one's job in life is to entertain you." Tobi laughed, and Hidan shouted at him , "Shut up, Tobi!! Being roomed with an A-hole isn't a laughing matter!!" Kakuzu kept silent at this, but Tobi could imagine how he was garing at Hidan for this.

"Alright, Hidan. We're sorry we slept in so late..." Tobi glanced at Zetsu, who yawned and shrugged. "...Either way, what's the plan?" Hidan, on the other end, scrathed the back of his head. "We're going to go for brunch now. Meet you guys in the lobby in 15?" he asked, and Tobi nodded. "Ok, see you then." he said, and he hung gave him a questioning look, and Tobi smiled. "Brunch in 15 minutes, we meet them in the lobby." "Where?" Zetsu asked, and Tobi shook his head. "Don't know... just dress right, i guess." he said, and he went off to pick something from his case, which was pretty empty at the moment. He hadn't brought along much. Something he bet Deidara and Itachi were dying to fix. He looked over his clothes.

Zetsu had walked over to his own closet, and was staring at his clothes, wondering what to pick. Tobi quickly decided on a long black shirt with orange horizontal lines that came to about 10cm above his knees, and pulled a shorter pumpkin orange top over it, with the band's name across his chest. He pulled on his black jeans and chained them, and grabbed his Ipod and some cash. Then he locked his case and turned around.

Zetsu was still changing.

Tobi looked away, and walked behind the curtains to distract himself before looking at Zetsu again. This seemed remarkably like an anime as he looked everywhere desperately for a distraction. He finally settled on a building in the distance, which was pretty wierdly shaped. Absently, Tobi wondered if it was around for a long time, or it had just been designed to look that way. I mean, it had glass windows... but many old buildings never did lose their design when they were upgraded, so Tobi couldn't not too sur... "What are you doing, Tobi? Let's go."

Tobi turned around. Zetsu was holding the curtain up, smiling an awkward smile. He nodded, hoping above all that he wasn't blushing anymore, and then followed the other to exit the room.

His cell phone buzzed.

Tobi turned back sharply. Zetsu followed his head movement with his eyes, and Tobi ran for his cell. He dived on the bed playfully and reached down into his carry on for his cell. Picking it up, he flipped it open. "Message?" Zetsu asked, and Tobi nodded. "Mm." he replied curtly. Zetsu wondered what the message said, This wasn't really like Tobi at all. Being curt and the like. He face missed its usual childlikeness as he scrutinised the message closely, and then turned on his back as he read.

_Alright Tobi. This will be our form of communication due to its convenience and such. Keep me updated._

Tobi stared at the three liner for about 2 minutes before feeling satisfied, and he deleted the message record. Glimpsing a brochure in his carry on about laptops, he briefly registered that one would no longer be necessary, and tossed his cell phone on top of it, weighing it down and crushing it to the bottom of the bag.

To Zetsu, Tobi bounded out of the room as he smiled and said cheerily, "Let's go, the others are waiting."  
He didn't believe Zetsu fell for his facade.

* * *

They were headed back to the studio after lunch, and Zetsu was seated directly diagonal to Tobi, watching him as usual. 'Stalker.' His conscience chided, and he shook his head. The rest were talking about beats, rhythms, songs and lyrics, and even he joined in from time to time, but Tobi was seated behind Itachi, watching him now and then, and staring out of the window when he wasn't.

'What was that message about?' he thought. 'He changed so much just after receiving it.'  
_'Well, we can find out if he's doing ok, at least.'_

Zetsu shifted so that he sat next to Tobi. Nudging the other, he asked, "Something wrong, Tobi? You seem kind of troubled." Tobi paused and considered this before shaking his head, smiling. "I'm fine." he said, and Zetsu took him by the shoulders, frowning. "No Tobi, you're not fine. If you were fine, you'd be messing around in the restaurant with Deidara and Hidan, throwing shit into the candle and playing with the utensils for drumsticks." he said decisively, and Tobi shivered. Zetsu shut his eyes and sighed. For a second, just a second, his other side had threatened come out. Zetsu sighed. It was tiring.

"Zetsu?" Tobi said softly, and Zetsu turned to him. Tobi had his knees hunched up and he replied, "You're right, I'm not fine. I just don't know what to do." Zetsu sighed and crossed his legs on the large seat. "What is it, Tobi? Something eating at you. And it wasn't the terrible salad you ate. God i don't even know how vegetarians survive." he said, remembering the steak he had and the small chef's salad Tobi did. He shivered, and Tobi laughed. "I don't know how to deal with it but to follow orders, Zetsu... and i don't think this is something i can share." he said sorrowfully, and Zetsu's frown emerged again.

But he knew he couldn't force it. Tobi was feeling what Zetsu had felt for a long, long time before he'd met Kakuzu.

Alone.

_In the past, before he'd joined Tsukisa, he'd been a star student at an Ikebana [Japanese flower arrangement] school in Japan. It had the best name in the industry, and he was their top student since his freshmen year. Yeah, he had a life elsewhere, and he did have to study, but his other interest was Ikebana. There were about a 50 50 rate of girls and boys, and so no one had teased Zetsu or any of his classmates who went to the school. In fact, people looked up to them because Ikebana seemed to be an inborn talent, and people who mastered it were known to be graceful and elegant people. Boys who mastered it were few and far between, but many people still wanted to give it a shot._

_But although the school was large in size and had a huge stodent body, it was difficult for Zetsu to find friends. No one seemed to understand him at all, a quiet enigma who was sort of like a spirit, free and untouchable. He was like a mystery to everyone, which made the guys stay away and the girls secretly admire him from afar. Zetsu's personality was not for the bimbotic or weak hearted. He was simply known as either a star Ikebana student, or a mystery._

_No one bothered beyond this. Zetsu realised only a year after he had schooled at the school in his favourite place, the Ikebana sphere for plants which required alot of sunlight: He wasn't just lonely, he was alone.  
And it was terrifying._

_Soon after, Zetsu found himself developing a split personality; an angry, sarcastic, critical one. It bothered him the whole day, and often the whole night. He'd keep up his grades, and arrange those flowers beautifully, but it didn't change the fact that he was struggling to keep his other self under control. Worse, his other self was beginning to control him at times. He was sinking into something akin to depression. And no one was there to help him._

_Till one autumn day._

_Zetsu was walking home from School. He could have been anywhere, at the arcade or just hanging around, but he didn't have anything to do, so he was headed back to the very place where he could never be himself. He was more on guard at home than he was at school, even. Sighing, he noticed another boy. He recognised him as his neighbour. Deciding he had nothing better to do, he went up to him and offered, "Hey, you're Kakuzu, right? We're neighbours." he said, and the other nodded. "Hey. We met a couple of times during the New year and Christmas, huh." Kakuzu replied to this, and Zetsu nodded._

_A few minutes passed in a comfortable silence, and then Kakuzu looked up at the sky, and frowned. It seemed to be getting alot colder. He turned to Zetsu. "Come on in." he jerked a thumb at his house behind. After a moment of contemplation, Zetsu nodded, and he followed Kakuzu into the Zen Modern style house. 'Of course everything would be modern,' Zetsu thought. 'Kakuzu's family were renouned for producing prodigies in either Law, Finance or Medicine.' As Kakuzu yelled to his parents he had Zetsu over, he led him to his room, and when he got there, shut the door._

_"Just dump your bag anywhere. It doesn't really matter." Kakuzu said, as he sat on the side of his bed, having switched on his Apple laptop. Zetsu nodded as he put it near to the door and sat down in a red arm chair. "So... what school do you go to?" Zetsu asked, and Kakuzu replied, "Hakura's Institute of Medicine." Zetsu nodded. That meant that Kakuzu practised Medicine. "Cool." he said simply, and Kakuzu, leaning against the headboard, asked, "You go to the Ikebana school, don't you. I heard you're one of their top students." "And you have quite a rep yourself. Although all i know is you're a top student as well, but not what you practise." Zetsu said, and Kakuzu shook his head._

_"I don't practise medicine. That's just something i do to pass my time and keep my parents happy." Kakuzu confided in him, and Zetsu frowned. Kakuzu answered the question that was unspoken. "See, i practise this." Kakuzu opened a door that was hidden behind a Western screen, and brought out..._

_An Ovation Acoustic guitar and a Fender Bass guitar._

_"M... Music." Zetsu said, and Kakuzu laughed lightly at the look of confusion on his face. Replacing the guitars in their stands, he beckoned to Zetsu. "Come on. There's something else in here. This place was a present from my dad. He said I could do whatever i wanted with it, as long as it was legal. But they dont know about all this stuff, cause i keep the door locked and clean the place up myself." Zetsu entered the room. It was kind of big once you stepped inside. There was an arm chair, shelves, a round table and a lamp, pieces of furniture, Zetsu was sure was put in only before Kakuzu had bought his own instruments. "So you moved all this stuff in when your parents weren't home?" he clarified, and Kakuzu gave him a nod. Then Zetsu noticed something new._

_A drum set._

_It was red and black with copper cymbals, all rounded and looked pretty new, but was already broken in by Kakuzu. "I don't play much, that's just for fun. This room was soundproofed just for that. The guitars are more my thing." he said, and Zetsu felt as though he couldn't tear his eyes away from the set. "Try it." Kakuzu offered, and Zetsu nodded, sitting in the black seat and picking up a pair of sticks. He started a steady rhythm, simple and clean cut. Then he started to play riffs of a little more difficult level. Soon he felt like he was really in his element, and he couldn't stop._

_When he had, it had already been an hour. He hadn't realised, but he'd started recalling riffs from memory, and playing them out. Kakuzu had been playing the guitar for some of the songs he could remember, and both had only been jerked out of their momentum by a knock on the door. Quickly, Kakuzu slipped outside, and came back in a moment later to invite Zetsu to dinner, to which he politely declined. "Thanks anyway, Kakuzu." he said, picking up his bag. Kakuzu nodded, and saw him to the door. Kakuzu pulled his arm back._

_"Listen Zetsu. I saw that look in your eyes you didn't see while you were playing." he said, and Zetsu stared at him. "That's a look of absolute element, you get it? The drums... it's your thing, man. I never knew you had that." Kakuzu scratched the back of his head, and Zetsu turned away for a second. "Come over everyday, man." Kakuzu said suddenly, and Zetsu turned to him. "Huh." he said dumbly. He never actually had someone invite him over since... since ages ago. He couldn't even remember. It had always been home, school, home. That was his routine everyday. "Come over. Play the drums. The drum set i have is great, but i hardly play it. I found my passion, Zetsu. It's in the guitars. But yours? It's going to be the drums. I see it, man." Kakuzu gripped Zetsu's shoulders tightly and shook him. Zetsu found it hard to believe the drums were supposed to be his calling in life._

_But he listened to Kakuzu. Everyday, after school, he would proceed to wait for Kakuzu outside his house, or sometimes outside his school, during which times they would grab a quick lunch before going back to the house. The afternoon would proceed with Zetsu and kakuzu doing their respective homeworks, followed by mostly an hour or two of pure music making. And soon, Zetsu began to understand that playing the drums was his calling. It was the only time he really felt in his element, a feeling he couldn't obtain even when he was in the win for the top place in their school's Ikebana examinations. His depression lingered slightly before fading, and finally, he grew to get used to his other personality, and carefully, bit by bit, learnt to keep it at bay._

_Zetsu practiced the drums everyday for a year. When he was invited with Kakuzu by Kisame and Sasori to form Tsukisa, he never looked back._

But now, as Zetsu looked at tobi, he could see something was very wrong. the younger male had positioned himself such that his back leant against Zetsu's upperarm, and Zetsu was almost sure he was feeling alone. Just like he had been. being in that stage wasn't fun for him, and he was certain it wasn't fun for anyone.

'What can i do,' he wondered, 'To help Tobi?' Then the bus shot past a blur of colours, and Zetsu craned his neck slowly to look at it.  
A smiled. 'Of course.'

Back at the hotel, the first person Zetsu spoke to was the receptionist. "E.. Excuse me..." he asked, and she turned to him, smiling. Then she flushed, but Zetsu didn't take much notice of it. All of the band members tended to have some form of that effect on the public. "How may i help you, sir?" she asked, and he nodded. "I wanted to inquire if this hotel has any ties to a florist." he asked, and she stared at him for a second, before handing him a card. "Y... yes, we do... It's a japanese Ikebana association, or a Western flower producer." Zetsu paused. "What's the name of the ikebana Association?" he asked carefully, and she replied, "Um... something like Nana no Hana. I'm sorry, i'm not sure if i pronounced that right..." she said, smiling awkwardly. He nodded. "It's alright, you were close." he said, and then he placed an order.

"Can you get me flowers by tonight?" he asked, and she checked her watch. "I think the next order is coming in around now. Should you order, perhaps they'll actually be able to deliver it within an hour." she smiled, and he smiled. "good. Um, can i have... 8 stalks of Sakura, 3 Tsubaki and 9 Ajisai and Yuki Yanagi, if possible. And 3 bunches of Magnolia." he decided, and she stared at him. Zetsu laughed. "If you give me the phone, I can do it. I believe i know the person on the other line." he turned back to the others and waved them on, and they left first. she dialed the number and handed him the phone. He took it and nodded gracefully, which had her flushing and tripping over her own foot.

"Ohio, Nana No Hana des. How may i help you? *yah, Mitsuki, damateshina saiyo!!*"  
Zetsu chuckled. "Sashiburi, Kaoru, Mitsuki. It's Zetsu."  
"..." Zetsu stared at the phone, before chancing a, "Hello?"  
"YAH!!! MITSUKI!! ZETSU!!! ZETSU'S ON THE PHONE!!"  
"HONTO?!!? ZETSUUUU!!! OHIOOOOO!!!!"  
Zetsu laughed hard, clutching his stomach. "Ohio, futaridomo."  
"So, what do you need? This is the number of that hotel, whatcha'macallit." Kaoru said over the phone.  
"8 stalks of Sakura, 3 Tsubaki and 9 Ajisai and Yuki Yanagi, if possible. And 3 bunches of Magnolia." he repeated.

"You got it. Mitsuki, stop our outgoing now!!"  
"Yosh!! YAH!! OMEIWA!!! TOMARANAI-YOOOOOOOH!!!!!"  
"I see Mitsuki's healthy." Zetsu said, smiling. even back at the school, hshe was always bouncing around.  
"Yes." Kaoru said, and Zetsu could just picture his look of adoration for the other. "She's expecting." he said, and Zetsu's eyes widened.  
"Really, that's wonderful news, Kaoru. Congratulations." he said, and Kaoru laughed.  
"Alright, business is overflowing, so let's skip all of that. Why are you in America?" Kaoru asked, and Zetsu sighed.  
"Touring with Tsukisa." he replied, and Kaoru replied with an "Ahh," on the other end.  
"Mission SUCCESS!! The truck was stopped." Mitsuki said in the background, and Zetsu smiled.  
"Alright, Mit, I'll get you your pieces, Zetsu. See ya around."

Zetsu nodded. "See you around." he said, and he handed the phone back to the receptionist. "Sorry about that, and thank you very much. you've been a great help." he said, and she flushed. "Just, um... doing my job..." she said, and he nodded. "now, if you could just tell me where the studio is, I'd appreciate that very much." he said, tilting his head, and she checked the computer. "It's the Lavender ballroom, on the 2nd floor. Out the lift, turn right. 3rd door." she said, from memory, and he smiled. "Thank you."  
For the remaining time, he thought about the theme of the flowers he had picked for Tobi.

As he entered the studio and looked at tobi, he absently registered that most of the flower varietys he'd order had much semblance to Love.

* * *

Please Review.

OMG I WROTE SO MUCH FOR ZETSU!!! *dies* XDXDXD  
Ok, the romanji is SCREWED up. I just put in some random crap . lol.  
Aside from the romanji, i'm so glad i finally told Zetsu's past. since he's kind of like a venus fly trap in the anime, i figured he should have some sort of past related to plants, and the Ikebana thing seemed like the way to go XD and i told a little about kakuzu, too!! I don't know where the idea that they were neighbours came from. Jeez, i'm so random ==" No wonder i always have problems writing and back tracking XD LOL.  
Did i say how much i hate that Tobi's POV was SOOOOOO much shorter than Zetsu's?!?! I hate it!!! DAGNAB EEEEET.  
Ok, thanks for all the reviews in the previous chapter, I NEED INSPIRATION!!  
Lol, the other day my uncle and i were joking about hiring me a muse XDXDXD

NO. OMG. NO =="


	14. Chapter 14

I'm sorry for the UPDATELESS period... please enjoy!!! I'M SORRY. This is a mixed POV chapter :D

* * *

Kisame looked at Itachi as he played.  
They were an hour into rehearsals, and none had stopped even for a minute aside from water breaks. No one wanted to even pause the music making process, and Kisame liked it that way. He was never one to stop when he ws doing something he enjoyed. For example, if he liked his food, the news of him winning a car could jolly damn well wait till he was done.

"Kisame."  
Kisame looked to his side, and then down a little. "Yeah, Sasori?" he replied, and Sasori looked slightly irritated at this. "Freaking tall bastards..." he muttered, and Kisame laughed. While he, Zetsu and Kakuzu were pretty tall at 175 to 180, Sasori was still at the 165 to 170 range, same as most of the Akaku members. "What is it, Sasori." he asked, and Sasori smiled, looking at Deidara. "He's so pretty, Kisame." he said, and Kisame thinking Sasori was talking about Itachi, who was next to Deidara, frowned. "Sorry man, who's pretty?" he asked, and Sasori frowned up at him, confused. "Deidara." he replied, and Kisame relaxed, rolling his eyes. DUH.

"Yeah, maybe. I mean, he's cute, but Itachi's cooler. Different. he just exudes this... this aura thingy." Sasori looked up at him. "Aura thingy? Untouchable, cold... um. Untouchable?" Sasori emphasized, and Kisame shook his head. "It's just... different." They stared at the other group while they rehearsed their songs.  
Zetsu came over to join them. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked, and Sasori said, very, very calmly, "How Itachi and EsPeciaLly Deidara," he smirked at Kisame, who rolled his eyes, "Are hot." Zetsu frowned. "Isn't that very... un-straight?" he asked, with a sweatdrop at how stupid that sounded. Kisame nodded. "Yup. Very, very UN-straight." Zetsu sat down on an armchair opposite Kisame, and Sasori went off to get some coffee.

"I think something's bothering Tobi." Zetsu stated, and Kisame tilted his head, resting his chin on his fist. "Really now, how very observant you are, Zetsu." he commented, and Zetsu's face was slightly tinted as he said, "Shut up, Kisame." he glanced at Tobi, who was listening to Itachi instruct him to accelerate only the second time they repeated the bridge. "He's smarter than you think. And his hearing is insane, man." he added, and Kisame turned to him. "Really??" he asked, and Zetsu nodded. Kisame pondered this for a second. "I heard... that it's possible for children to have insanely good hearing skills if both his parents are deaf." Zetsu's eyes widened. "Seriously??" he asked, and Kisame nodded sombrely.

"It's a generation gap thing." Kakuzu said, sitting down on Kisame's unused armrest. "That so..." Kisame said in amusement. "Why this topic?" Kakuzu asked, and Kisame smirked at Zetsu. "Plant boy here noticed how good Pumpkin head over there is at hearing." Kakuzu grinned in the same evil semblance as Kisame. "Oh really."  
Zetsu had gotten used to it when they called him plant boy, and didn't really mind, so when he let out a "Hey..." they knew it wasn't for him but for Tobi.

Sasori came back with a steaming hot cup of coffee. While he sat down in between Zetsu and Kisame carefully so that he didn't spill, Kakuzu asked his lightly, "So, Sasori, how's your game?" Sasori smirked up at him over the coffee cup, and all the other 3 shivered. "Was that a challenge, Kakuzu..." he asked slowly, and kakuzu sighed, looking at Zetsu. "Why the hell do Akasuna's have to look at everything like it's a challenge, hey." he said in mock disappointment, and Zetsu chuckled. Kisame looked to his side and shut his eyes, sighing in a, "these 2 may never be saved" kind of way, and Sasori and Kakuzu glared at him, simultaenously saying, "What Was That Sigh, Hey." Kisame shrugged, and Zetsu smiled.

"Seriously speaking, my game is fine. but if you're talking about _that_... i've been training continuously. Something i might not be able to do the whole time i'm here." Sasori said, frowning. Kisame nodded, glancing at his worried expression. "Don't worry about it, Sasori. We'll keep your ass in the game. You can find some studios when we're free, right?" Kakuzu asked, and Pein stood up from behind Zetsu's chair, staring at Kakuzu. "Holy... when did you get there?" Sasori said, backing away in his armchair from Pein.

"Actually, the tour takes up most of the time we have here in America. There's not much room for anything else besides some proper rest." he said, and Sasori turned to his side, cussing. Kisame looked at him worriedly. Sasori sighed after a minute, leaning back and nodding. "I understand." Pein let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and patted Sasori on his head. "Look, Sasori. I know you gotta keep up with your game, but for the time being, notice how everything around you looks and battle with that mentally. This isn't going to be as easy as it sounds, this tour. This is TRAINING, you hear." he reminded, pulling his hood over his forehead, and Sasori sat back putting his feet on the table at the same time Kisame mirrored his movement. "Yeah. It is, kind of." Sasori said, blowing his fringe out of his hair. Pein smiled and ruffled the redhead's hair. "Good. I gotta go discuss something with Konan." he said, and left.

"YEAH RIGHT." All four yelled after him, to which he ignored blatantly. Kakuzu laughed, and Kisame turned his sight to him. "So, Kakuzu, anything you find cute about the albino?" he asked teasingly, and Kakuzu shot him a glare, walking off, mumbling something like "watch it" and "coffee".  
Zetsu sighed as he looked at Kakuzu. "That wuld be his unnecessary 8th cup today." Kisame chuckled as Sasori said mockingly, "Ah, young love."

* * *

Itachi sighed as he picked the scores from the stand, flushing a little when Kisame patted him on the hair and smiled. "Good job," the taller one said, and Itachi nodded, arranging the scores neatly and sliding them into a clear plastic sheet file that he used for their lyrics. Deidara had locked his guitar into place carefully before throwing Kisame the jet for him to connect his own Fender. Kisame noded to him, and smiled. They continued adjusting their instruments, and Akaku watched from aside.

"Sound system synched?" "In order. Sound, 84%." Kakuzu called from his amp, and Kisame looked to Sasori, who nodded. "Basis stereophonic keys, 90%." he said, and Zetsu nodded to say he was ready. Kisame called out, "Let's begin at bar 56 right down to the end of the second chorus, before the bridge." they nodded, and Akaku exited the studio, and sat where the other band has been, watching them through the glass. As the music got more and more heated, they began to really get into it, like Akaku had been before. Deidara smiled as he came back with a can of horlicks for Itachi, NesCafe for hisan and tobi, and a Milo for himself. konan sat down next to them, a bottle of snapple in her hands. Itachi watched the band as a whole, noticing how in synch they were, and then zoomed in on one of them. Kisame.

"Who are you looking at, 'Tachi, un?" Deidara said, gulping down his milo. Itachi turned away from the window and sank down into a seat which faced away from the glass. "No one." he said, slightly tinted. hidan smirked. "Don't think it was no one." he said, and he stood next to Deidara, glancing at the general direction Itachi was looking in before. "Ooo... i see. Would that happen to be a tall guy around here..." he made a gesture signifying kisame's height, ", spiked blue hair and twin birthmarks on his face?" Itachi shoved his arm. "Shut up."

"Wow, that was quick, Itachi." Konan said, taking her turn at teasing the surprisingly shy Uchiha right there and then. The chance usually slipped away fairly quickly. Itachi tried to calm himself, with resulting in a small choke as deidara doubled over in laughter and Tobi patted his back in an attempt to right his breathing. Hidan decided to join Deidara as he doubled over in laughter with him, and konan allowed herself a giggle before asking Itachi, "are you alright?" In an attempt to right the situation, Itachi turned his eyes on Deidara, who suddenly stopped. Sure of what Itachi was going to say.

"Well, aren't we getting comfortable with a certain Red Head, Deidara. I saw you coming in yesterday holding hands." He said, and Deidara jerked back slightly, his face immediately taking on a tell tale blush. Hidan glared at him in mock anger. "WHAT??! Deidara, you freaking punk, you went on a date That guy and never told me??! I thought we were friends, man!!" he said, and Deidara looked at him like he was horrified. hidan burst out laughing and said, "Just kidding, idiot. Where'd you go, anyway? I mean, America. There couldn't have been anywhere you knew already, right." Deidara looked up from his milo. "Well, we went to an art gallery, un." he smiled widely at them. "He's so nice, un!! These creeps were annoying the hell's crapass out of me," Itachi wrinkled his nose at the distasteful expression, ", un, and Sasori just pulled me away from them and glared at them, un. And they just shut up, un." he giggled like a girl. (a manly girl?)

Konan stared at him for a second. "OH MY GOD, YOU DIDN'T SCORE BEFORE ME, DID YOU, YOU STUPID PUNK!?!?" she screamed all of a sudden, and Everyone, and i mean EVERYONE, backed away from her, including a couple of brits who were walking past, who turned sharply in the opposite direction. She grabbed Deidara's collar, who was frantically looking to Itachi, the one man who saved him countless times from the raving mad blue haired woman before him. "What, un!!? NO!!! What the hell, Konan, you're so sick, un!!!" he said in a fierce whisper, and Konan, looking in the direction he was worriedly staring, looked at Itachi, and followed his gaze to the window.

Every single Tsukisa member had paused and was staring at them through the glass, wondering what Konan was raving about. She flushed as her gaze met Pein's, who was staring at her over his tinted specs as if to say, 'My god, what in God's name are you doing?' She turned around and started drinking her NesCafe faster than ever, resulting in the can being empty in record time of under a minute. Tobi grinned as he pointed at her and stated simply, "You like Pein, don'cha."

HACKCOUGHCHOKECHOKECOUGHCOUGHHACKCHOKEHACKCOUGHCOUGH

Itachi took pity as Deidara and Hidan high fived, doubled over in insane laughter and patted Konan on the back and Tobi grined triumphantly. Konan stopped Itachi and held her head up to glare at Tobi, who hid behind Deidara, who hid behind Hidan, who pulled both idiots to shield himself. "I DO NOT!!" she said childishly, and Itachi, from behind her, muttered, "You do too." Konan flushed even more. But somehow, Itachi's words had a calming effect on her as she sank down in her seat, albeit slightly dejected. "Well. He doesn't return the feelings. I don't know whether it's time for me to break down and cry or just tell him to get it off my chest anyways." Itachi straightened her Night Before Christmas tie and sighed. He noticed that Tobi joined him in doing so.

"Unrequited love sucks." he said, and Itachi looked at Tobi, who was unnaturally serious. Deidara, who had his face between his fingers, opened his right eye and peered at him through his fingers. Even Hidan looked at him. "Who was it, Tobi?" Hidan asked seriously, and Tobi grinned his idiotic smile. All was functional about him again. That was the thing about Tobi. He was able to get back on track faster than Itachi could, even. "Nah. Doesn't matter." he gripped Hidan's shoulder, and the albino frowned at him. Tobi's grip hurt. It was like he was in need of support. Hidan opened his mouth, but Itachi shook his head, and Hidan nodded, not saying anything as Tobi settled down in his seat.

Deidara looked at Itachi expectantly, as did Hidan, as they 3 glanced at the 2 dejected emo-ing individuals before them. Itachi cleared his throat.  
"Look Konan. I'll tel you what it's time for." he said, and he smiled as she lifted her head. "It's time to pick out the colours for tomorrow's gig, it's time for you to check with the sound crew, it's time to check the weather report. It's time to be ur manager." she smiled a small smile at this and gave a determined nod. Itachi turned to Tobi and held him by his collar roughly with one fist. "And you... it's your time to play us some insane beats. I don't know who this girl or guy is, but it has to the gig, we'll pulverise anyone who pisses you off. Right now, 150% into this, got it?"

'Itachi was convincing,' Tobi thought. 'I'll give him that.'

* * *

The next day, it was 15 minutes before the opening gig, and everyone was on edge. Konan and Pein were nursing several headaches, and trying to deal with all 8 of their cranky, pranoid band members. Kisame was irritably leaning up against a wall, Itachi trying to calm him down, something the young Uchiha specialised in. Deidara had lost his bag of picks, and had succeeded in roping Sasori in to help him to look for it. kakuzu and hidan were quarelling over something stupid (again), and Tobi and Zetsu were the calmest, picking their dumsticks carefully for maximum effect and placing them in the right pockets for their respective performances. konan was talking to a couple of lighting crew members, and Pein was trying to get her away from them so that he could brief her on transition positions on the stage. Which was, obviously, simply nothing more than a ploy to get her to himself.

"Shit, un!! What the fu..." Deidara was cut off, scrowling. Sasori looked under the 2 spare amps and shook his head. "Where'd you last see them?" he asked, and Deidara shrugged. "Don't remember, un!! Check the tables and the like." they walked on over to the dressing tables which were not used by them at all. "DEIDARA, you asswipe!! Your picks are over here." Hidan held up the black drawstring bag. Deidara ran over and grabbed it. "Thanks, un. What are you doing now?" he asked, and Hidan rolled his eyes. "nothing in particular." he nodded at the redhead, who sided Deidara and looked over his right shoulder. "I was, however, arguing with Kakuzu over how Ice Cream tops Ichigo dango any day." he said, and Deidara nodded slowly. "Riiiiiiiiiight.... You know, un, I better check the volume on my amp one more time in case some jerkface changed it again, un. check you later, Hidan, un." he walked away quickly.

Sasori chuckled at Hidan. "Dude. D/Ced." he walked off. Hidan rolled his eyes, eyeing Kakuzu with obvious distaste. But he couldn't deny it. There was just something about him that made Hidan want to get under his skin. Like in to kill a Mockingbird, Hidan got what Atticus said. _You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you got into his skin and walked around in it._ Yes, Hidan seemed like a shallow bastard who would rather eat a literary book rather than read it, but still. He liked reading, and it was a secret passion of his. Even his own band members didn't know about it. he usually simply indulged himself with Itachi's books long after everyone else had slept.

Which wasn't the pont. The point was, Kakuzu was basically on Hidan's mind alot more than the albino would have liked, and thus, it worried him. He scratched the back of his head and sighed. 'Troublesome,' he thought, 'But i can tackle it. It's probably nothing.' He scratched his head and forced his sight away from Kakuzu, heading over to the snack table to get a donut or something.

Kakuzu, next to Zetsu and watching as he and the brat tested out each stick carefully and listened to the sounds they made. He wondered why hidan was just so GODDAMNED annoying, but so appealing. He was cute, granted, but Kakuzu never did things for the physical. Back at Med school, he'd been pretty popular even after _that_, and many girls had come up to him requesting a relationship. Kakuzu wasn't a virgin, but he didn't have sex casually. He'd realised through experience the more you put into a relationship, the more it hurts when it ends. After one serious relationship which lasted 2 years in his freshman and second year, he never got into another one.

So why was he losing sleep over the albino? Why was he finding it difficult to leave the other alone, and why was he so taken with him? Why did he feel an irresistable urge to talk to Hidan all the time, why did he have no qualms about the way he was behaving? 'He's a guy.' Kakuzu thought, 'Let it go.'  
But to his subconcious, this wasn't a good enough reason to leave the relationship at that. Somehow, he had a nagging feeling, a bad one, that he was going to be waiting on the zealot for a long, long time.

Meanwhile, Zetsu was having a similar struggle. As he sat just centimetres away from the Uchiha boy who seemed so focused and appealing to his other senses, Zetsu was finding it hard to quell his "other" side's urge to... do... something. Anything aside from talk about a bunch of sticks. Which usually mattered alot to Zetsu, and when he thought, 'God, why the hell am i doing this...' he knew immediately something was wrong.

_'IN LOVE, DUMBASS!! You like the boy.'_ 'I absolutely do not.' _'You gave him flowers.'_ 'For due reasons. He needed to be cheered up.' _'Really? How ob-freaking-servant of you.'_ 'It was a talent i don't mind sharing.' _'Yeah? Even when you hesitated making arrangements for even your own mother? On her birthday?'_ 'I was scared i wouldn't measure up.' _'She could hardly arrange a bunch of elephants according to size!!'_ '...That has no link. And she would be able to if you asked.' _'Look, what's your deal, plant boy? Why won't you just admit it?'_ 'If it's untrue, i won't admit it.' 'If it's true?' 'Well. I don't know.' _'You're goddamned hopeless.' _Zetsu sighed, noticing the minutes ticking away.

Tobi looked at Zetsu and smiled. "Shall we go get something to drink before we start this whole thing?" inside thought, he wanted alot more than a bottle of mineral Avian. He craved... what did he crave? 'I need something spiked.' he thought. And then, with a flight flush and a smirk, 'And maybe some of Zetsu's saliva.' Then he shook his head. 'Ok, NO. NOOO. NOOOO, NOOOO, NOOOO. Gotta focus tonight. Akaku takes precedence over swaping saliva.' he thought, and then he sighed. Being a good boy was hard.

He'd received a mail from Madara wishing the entire band good luck, but clearly none of them knew could only carry it on him guiltily as he switched off his cell and handed it to Konan on his way to the refreshment table. He grabbed a bottle of water and tossed it to Zetsu, and took one for himself. As he leant against the table, he noted with amusement the comfy way Itachi was laughing with Kisame as the older boy smiled and laughed with his posture slightly bent, his mouth set in a charming grin. Itachi was talking in a manner Tobi thought he would only behave in front of Akaku and its members, and he was glad Kisame could see Itachi as someone he could relate to.

Said Uchiha sharply looked at the others as a voiceover pierced the air and introduced them. He nodded as Akaku assumed their positions on stage.  
"Do well." he mouthed to them, followed by a very Itachi-style-smile, and they nodded.  
Curtains drawn, the show begins.

_Attention! Attention!  
May I have all your eyes and ears to the front of the room,  
If only, if only for one second.  
Would you hear what i have to say, __  
oh, oh and did I mention,  
When i see you it stings like Hell,  
to the fact that we could have something,  
that'll never happen._

By this time, everyone who had been talking excitedly to their friends were looking at the band and many were cheering.  
Oh yes. The show begins now.

* * *

Please Review.

OMG THAT SUCKED. And it took so long because of stupid school...  
PLEASE DO REVIEW!!


	15. Chapter 15

Ok, this time it's the sequence of POV's changed. So i'll have to tell you why: because the songs for each performance match different characters, and the songs follow a sequence of their own. So right now, a SasoDei chapter is in order. Hope no one minds.

Honestly, School really IS screwing all my updates up... they're taking much longer, and i have less time to think about my stories. So before i waste any more time, Chapter 15, everyone.

* * *

The songs were flowing like clockwork, and Pein and Konan were out of their minds stressing over the malfunction of one of the 10 unused amplifiers in case they needed to be used. Plus, as an added bonus, one of the speakers in the back of the place wasn't working. Akaku was just about finishing their opening song, "Attention", and was going to prepare for the next song, Geek In The Pink. Sasori sighed. The way it was supposed to go was that Akaku would be playing the intrumentals, and Tsukisa wouldn be singing the song.

He was in a light pink work shirt, tucked in with darker pink pinstripes running down the shirt, and black work pants. He even had on a pair of pink tinted frameless specs. He had a couple of tags around his neck, clinking cheerily.  
Kisame had on basically the same thing, but he had the shirt carelessly tucked out, and one more button unbuttoned. His specs was framed with silver at the top. He shot Sasori a grin, which the smaller boy returned with a smile and a shake of his head. A positive gesture from Sasori.  
Kakuzu had on a plain light pink shirt with a pocket. He was, as usual, more formal, and had his shirt buttoned up fully. Work pants was standard, so that was what he had on as well. It had a black stylish belt on. He didn't have on specs, but a black fedora with a fuschia band on it. He had on a fuschia tie as well. He coughed and listened carefully for their cue. Sasori chuckled. Kakuzu's greatest fear was being late to come in for a song.  
Zetsu had the same thing on as Kakuzu, but his shirt was tucked out and the band on his hat was a shade lighter. He also had on a tie that matched the colour of the band on his fedora. Since his shirt was tucked out, he had no need for a belt.

"Sasori, are you through fiddling with your tags? You're the first one singing." kisame said, and Sasori rolled his eyes. He picked up his assigned red tagged wire, and nodded, shaking out his dark red hair. "Anytime." he said, and Kisame nodded.  
"Attention, Attention!!" Deidara called, struggling not to include his usual "un" as he always did, and Itachi followed this with a fade-off, "Up side down and inside out..."  
Kakuzu adjusted his tie and nodded. "That's our cue. Let's go." he said, and Kisame grinned as idiotically as usual. They step out on stage, and as the Akaku members turn around, their eyes grow wide. Hidan is guilty of trying his best NOT to burst out laughing, especially since he has a mike in front of him. kakuzu shoot him a glare.

Deidara flushed red as Sasori stood next to him casually. "How come you're dressed so... Un. Pink, un?" he asked awkwardly, and Sasori smirked at him as he focused on Kisame introducing them. "You'll see." he whispered back, and Deidara switched his guitar pick, frowning in confusion. Sasori nodded as Kisame looked at him, and he heard major sighing from girls and laughter from the guys. He hoped the outlook was positive. Not many had heard from them in America, and this gig was important.

"Now, it's our pleasure to present you with a song, Geek In the Pink." Kisame said fluently in english, and once again, Sasori felt a pang of jealousy at the accent in Kisame's voice. He knew Kisame had schooling with the language, but honestly, the fluency there was insanely good.  
Sasori breathes and took centrestage with kisame. Akaku began playing, and with a deep breath, he heard kisame utter the first line.

_Kisame: (Yo brotha A to Z)  
Sasori: (Yo what's up B?)  
Kisame: (Yo what time is it?)  
Sasori: (Haha... it's laundry day! )_

At this point in time, Kakuzu and Zetsu were singing backup, chanting low do-do-do's and snapping their fingers in time. Sasori walked over to Deidara and nodded for him to play as per normal. The camera zoomed in on the 2 of them as Sasori took off his specs and smirked at Deidara.

Sasori:  
_Well let the geek in the pink take a stab at it  
If you like the way I'm thinkin' baby wink at it _[Sasori winked and Deidara glanced at him, smiling as he picked the strings.]  
_I may be skinny at times but I'm fat fulla rhymes  
Pass me the mic and I'm a grab at it _[Sasori tossed the mike from one hand to the other.]  
_Well isn't it delicious crazy way that I'm kissin'  
Cause baby listen to this don't wanna miss it while it's hittin'_ [Sasori put one of his right hand on Deidara's right hip and swayed. Deidara followed the movement, hoping he wasn't flushing.]  
_Sometimes you gotta fit in to get in  
But don't ever quit cause soon I'm gonna let you in but see... _[Sasori placed his specs neatly on Deidara, and made a turn.]

_I don't care what you might think about me  
You'll get by without me if you want _[Sasori folded his arms across his chest and turned away from Deidara for a second.]  
_I could be the one to take you home  
Baby we could rock the night alone_ [Sasori turned around and put his hands on Deidara's shoulders and rocked neatly in time, and then tilted his head as he looked at Deidara again.]  
_If we never get down it wouldn't be a let down  
But sugar don't be forgettin' what you already know_ [He tapped Deidara's nose, who blushed upon contact with the red head. Sasori wanted very much to chuckle, but settled for a smirk.]  
_I could be the one to turn you on  
We could be the talk across the town_ [Sasori made a sweeping and general gesture to the audience, who cheered and wolf whistled.]  
_Don't judge it by the color, confuse it for another  
You might regret what you let slip away... _[To end his bit, he wagged his fingers suggestively at Deidara, and gestured to the other 3 to take it away.]

Kisame, Kakuzu, Zetsu:  
_Like the geek in the pink  
Like the geek in the pink yeah_ [Kakuzu walked up to the centre stage and waited next to Hidan for the verse to start.]

Kakuzu:  
_Well this relationship fodder don't mean to bother nobody  
But Cupid's automatic musta fired multiple shots at him_ [He glared at Hidan and gestured by jerking his thumb at him, and Hidan, OH SO COINCIDENTALLY, glared back.]  
_Because he fall in love too often that's what's the matter  
At least I talk about it keep a pattern of flattery and_ [Kakuzu shrugged and turned his back on Hidan, who rolled his eyes and played as per normal.]  
_He was starin' through the doorframe  
And eyeing me down like already a bad boyfriend_ [Kakuzu turned around and looked at Hidan up and down as though he was demonstrating.]  
_Well he can get his toys outta the drawer then  
Cause I ain't comin' home I don't need that attention, see..._ [Kakuzu tilted Hidan's head up to meet his eye level and he smirked.]

_I don't care what you might think about me_ [Kakuzu turned away yet again and shrugged nonchalantly, and smirked as Hidan growled.]  
_You'll get by without me if you want  
Well, I could be the one to take you home_ [Kakuzu pounded a fist on one of his palms, as if coming to a decision, walked behind Hidan and put an arm around his waist.]  
_Baby we could rock the night alone  
If we never get down it wouldn't be a let down_ [Hidan was flushing, and Kakuzu was singing nearly in his ear.]  
_But sugar don't be forgetten what you already know  
I could be the one to turn you on_ [Kakuzu lay his head on Hidan's shoulder, both arms around his waist now, eyeing the crowd with the singing of the next line.]  
_We could be the talk across the town  
Don't judge it by the color, confuse it for another _[His smiled candidly at Hidan, put his fedora on the albino, and delivered the last line.]  
_You might regret what you let slip away..._

Sasori, Kisame, Zetsu:  
_Hey baby look at me go_ [They grinned widely as they waved and Kisame actually touched a few fans' hands.]  
_From zero to hero  
You better take it from a geek like me_ [They looked at The Akaku band members and gestured to themselves.]  
_I can save you from unoriginal dum-dums  
Who wouldn't care if you com... plete him or not_ [With wide sweeping gestures, Sasori and Kakuzu gave the stage to Kisame and Zetsu.]

Kisame and Zetsu:  
_So what I've got a short attention span _[Kisame grinned at Itachi as though apologetic.]  
_A coke in my hand_ [Zetsu shrugged, "holding" a "can of coke" in his hand.]  
_Because I'd rather have the afternoon, relax and understand_ [Kisame spread his arms out in a "hear me out" sign, his face set in a smirk.]  
_My hip hop and flip-flops well it don't stop with the light rock _[Zetsu snapped his fingers in time to the music.]  
_A shot to mock you kinda puts me in the tight spot_ [Kisame put his elbow on Itachi's shoulder and sighed dramatically, kneading his forehead. Itachi blushed slightly.]  
_The hype is nothing more than hoo-ha so I'm_ [Zetsu jerked a finger to his chest, smiling to Tobi, who grinned back.]  
_Developing a language and I'm callin' it my own_ [Kisame smiled charmingly at itachi.]  
_So take a peek into the speaker and you'll see what I mean_ [Zetsu whispered in Tobi's ear, and the boy flushed slightly.]  
_That on the other side the grass is greener_ [Kisame tilted Itachi's chin and sang into his ear, away from the audience.]

_I don't care what you might think about me  
You'll get by without me if you want_ [Kisame and Zetsu simultaenously put their arms around itachi and Tobi respectfully. Both jerked upon contact, blushing furiously.]  
_I could be the one to take you home  
Baby we could rock the night alone_ [They let go and smiled, leaning their heads on the 2 Akaku members' shoulders.]  
_If we never get down it wouldn't be a let down  
But sugar don't be forgettin what you already know_ [Zetsu smiled and Tobi shut his eyes, trying his best, plainly, to continue playing the right riffs.]  
_I could be the one to turn you out  
We could be the talk across the town_ [Kisame smirked once again, leaning in closer to itachi as he and Zetsu delivered the final line together,]  
_Don't judge it by the color, confuse it for another  
You might regret what you let slip away_ [, him whispering in Itachi's right ear, and Zetsu in Tobi's left. The large screen caught everything.]

All:  
_Like the geek in the pink_ [All four Tsukisa members made their way together, snapping their fingers, exchanging looks of cruel satisfaction.]  
_I'm the geek in the pink yeah  
Geek is the color for fall _[Kakuzu gestured to his shirt.]  
_I'm the geek in the pink yeah_ [Sasori smirked at the camera.]  
_So I'm the geek y'all  
In the pink y'all_ [Kisame reminded, ticking his index finger off at the audience.]  
_Geek is the color for fall_ [Zetsu took a gentlemanly bow, sweeping his arm out to gesture at the colour of the other members' shirts.]  
_I'm the geek in the pink_ [All of them fell back a step, smirking at the camera as the song was cut off.]

Sasori smiled at Deidara as Itachi awkwardly took the mike to introduce the next song. "Get why we're in pink?" he asked, and Deidara nodded, his fringe hiding his face.  
'He is so cute.' Sasori thought, as he turned away.  
Deidara let go of his guitar, and lifted it back onto the stand, inhaling. 'Tonight, un...' he thought, 'Is going to be a long night.'  


* * *

Please Review.

I know that sucked. It's the effect of school. I still hate it. Sorry about the bad quality. Bye bye.


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks for the revews!! I'm sorry i didn't update as much as last time... School mucks it all up.  
I'M SO PISSED IT'S LIKE I CAN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING EXCEPT BURY MY NOSE IN MY TEXTS ALL THE TIME. DRAW FOR A SECOND AND POOF, YOUR BOOK'S JUST... GONE.  
Gosh, School pisses the hell out of me.

Geek in the Pink is by Jason Mraz, and the next song is by an artist by the name of Rascal Flatts. I'm skipping ahead yes, this is the important song XD  
Itachi's and Kisame's POV.  
[PS, Please kill me now. I can't stand another moment living in this mess.]

* * *

"Hey everyone, Having a good time tonight?" Kisame grinned, and cheers and shouts erupted from the crowd.  
Party poopers who spent their days and nights bruying their noses in books alone had left the stadium, leaving people who wanted to hear some good music and watch a few hot guys perform hot stuff. It was down to the final song, and Kisame was buying time for Itachi to go get the instrument he specialised in back when he was still living in the Uchiha family house. The violin.

Kakuzu tuned his guitar and signified an ok to Kisame. That was the second ok. Sasori had to make sure the piano and keyboards were ready to hit some hard beats. "Well, we've got to go soon." Sounds of immense protest filled the air, and Kisame smirked. "Aww. We feel so loved." he grinned, and Sasori incurred severe heartburn as some people laughed till their lungs collapsed while he let out a snort at the stupidity of such a suggestion. a sound amplified many times over through a mike. Kakuzu coughed into the mike, and Kisame looked over his shoulder. Time to wrap it up, because Deidara was gesturing that Itachi was done.

"Well, the bad news is this is, REALLY, our final song for the night." Kisame said regrettably, and the audience groaned loudly. Kisame noted the shriek of happiness backstage, and the entire audience heard it as well. Kisame coughed. "Erm. That was Akaku's band manager named Konan... who, while she had faith in her charges, is EXTREMELY happy with the outcome of today's gig." he explained, and everyone laughed as he scratched the back of his head. He put a finger in the air. "BUT. The awesome thing is, we'll be having other gigs in towns near this one, so watch out for us!! One day we'll be the new number ones on MTV." he said, and everyone cheered. A few "WE LOVE YOU!!"s rang out in the air. He smiled, and shushed the audience as Itachi came back onstage. "This was Itachi from Akaku, he'll be helping us with our last song." Kisame smiled at Itachi, who promptly turned his head away, and fiddled with the violin, which he set on his shoulder steadily.

'Hmm.' Kisame thought, and then he turned to the audience. "Well, everyone, this song's called, _What Hurts The Most_."

Itachi placed the bow neatly on the strings and angled it to give maximum sound to the audience. He began to play.  
Kisame found his performance amazing, from the day earlier, and knew immediately why he'd heard about him as the Uchiha prodigy. However, when he saw Itachi's talent at the bass and acoustic, he knew why he'd rebelled against the unspoken "only classical music" Uchiha traditions and rules. Itachi's fingers moved like lightning, hitting the notes perfectly each time. 'Ironically,' Kisame thought with a chuckle, 'He sucked at hand eye co-ordination in Guitar Hero yesterday.'

and with a deep breath, Kisame began to sing.

--  
Kisame:  
_I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house  
That don't bother me  
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out  
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while  
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me  
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok  
But that's not what gets me  
--_

For a second, Kisame hesitated, and missed the first note of the second line.  
This was when the Tsukisa members realised something vital and nealy hit themselves as they shook their heads at thier own stupidity. Even at Kisame's level, it was highly unlikely he'd be able to get through the song in top form.

This was because he was singing it for someone else.

--  
Kisame:  
_What hurts the most  
Was being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away  
And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was tryin' to do  
--_

'I thought i could do this... but it's hard.' Kisame thought absently. He glanced at Itachi as the younger boy shot him a look at the same time.  
[Are you ok?] Itachi's gaze conveyed. He knew something was off.  
'Why, why why why did it have to come now?! this feeling... it's eating me up inside. I don't know what to do with you, you're intoxicating, and i want you.' Kisame thought, as Itachi played entrance to the next verse. The older boy forced himself to focus on his vocals.  
--

Kisame:  
_It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go  
But I'm doin' It  
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone  
Still Harder  
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret  
But I know if I could do it over  
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart  
That I left unspoken  
_--

'Something's wrong. Kisame is nervous. And he's never nervous. What's going on?' Itachi wondered, not saying a thing but shooting glances toward the elder's direction. He glanced back at Sasori, who was frowning more evidently than ever before. Sasori was mouthing something to Itachi, but Itachi never caught it. Instead, he tried to make for the best notes he could play in a situation like this.  
--

Kisame:  
_What hurts the most  
Is being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away...  
_--

He stopped. Kisame stopped singing. He couldn't sing anymore.  
Itachi looked at the crowd in horror. What?! What on earth?!!  
Thank god, though, for bishonen. They always knew when something was going to screw up. Deidara stepped in neatly, singing from a backstage cordless mike, as Hidan pushed him out on stage, and Deidara dragged the albino with him. Itachi sighed in relief, which died equally as quickly while he watched Kisame fall apart on stage.  
--

Deidara:  
_And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was trying to do  
--_

Kisame ran off-stage, shooting Deidara a look of thanks as he ran for somewhere no one would be staring at him.

Immediately, Itachi let go of his violin, sending it for impending doom as the thousand dollar instrument fell for the floor.  
Luckily, Tobi made a running save, his shoulder hitting the floor as he caught the instrument and slid across the floor in front of Deidara's feet. The blonde looked down at Tobi with extreme distaste, as the raven haired boy grinned, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Itachi had followed Kisame's suit and gone MIA.

Sasori looked at Kakuzu in panic. No one was on the Violin now. Kakuzu frowned, playing to Deidara's voice now.  
Hidan to the rescue. [Cue the A Team theme song.]  
Hidan made his way over to the piano Sasori wasn't using. He flipped the channel to strings and twisted the dial till it reached Violin, and stole Itachi's scores, courtesy of Tobi, who handed them to him. He nodded, and they continued playing. The crowd was slightly confused with the flurry of activity, but dismissed it as Deidara's voice, although slightly... different, should we say, from Kisame's, was unique and beautiful. Melodic, and it soothed them to listen, forgetting about any confusion. Music filled their souls.

While this happened, Tobi looked at the wooden string instrument in his hands.  
When Itachi had left the family house with him, one of the few things he'd bothered to bring was this violin. It had belonged to Itachi's father, and his grandfather before that. And even before that, Namikaze Resshin held it in his possession, one of the most renouned artists of his time, famous for his pieces, "13th hour", "8th day", "5th week" and "13th month", a series of pieced tying together to make the perfect series masterpiece.

And he'd never let it touch the floor before, let alone drop it. So Tobi wondered briefly...  
Why had he been so nonchalant toward his treatment to it when it came to Kisame?

* * *

"Kisame!!" Itachi called out, but Kisame didn't turn back. Itachi felt an overwhelming sense of dread. This gig was as important to Kisame as it was to him. What could make Kisame have a 360 degree mood swing in just a few seconds? Or had he been brooding about it since the day before? had he needed help, and had itachi, or rather... would Itachi have been able to administer it??

Itachi felt terrible.

Kisame opened the door to his and itachi's trailer, which they'd taken to the performance venue in an attempt to fend off fans. (It didn't work.)  
After he'd went in, he left the door swinging open. Itachi cautiously opened the door, and shut it behind him, locking it. He muttered, "Kisame... What's wrong." although it was a question, Itachi made it sound like a statement, an order to tell him about the traumas of the day. Kisame turned his head away stubbornly. Itachi sighed. As he drew the red curtains shut and turned to switch on one of the lights, Kisame stood behind him and held his hand back from doing so.

Itachi turned to look at Kisame. Their noses were very nearly touching. "Don't." Kisame said simply, and Itachi, hand frozen, nodded, letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Kisame ran his hands through his hair, sighing in frustration. "i thought i could do it." he muttered softly, then again, "i really thought it could."  
Itachi touched Kisame's back.  
"Thought you could what."

Kisame turned to face the Uchiha and held him gently.  
"Love."

_What hurts the most  
Is being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away  
And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was trying to do_

Itachi breathed as Kisame held him close. This was closer than he'd ever been with anyone besides his immediate family.

_(G)--%---  
Itachi sat outside on the tatami matted patio, drinking tea. Well, anyone who looked would think it was tea. It was Sake. He looked up as his younger brother joined him, sitting down to enjoy the break from his intense training.  
"It's so scary..." Itachi said first, releasing his thoughts onto his brother, who'd poured himself a cup of hot "tea" as well. Sasuke was well awar of his brother's tricks.  
"What is?" the younger of the 2 replied.  
"Love."  
The younger, Sasuke, blinked. Itachi sipped.  
"What on Earth... Love isn't scary. Love is beautiful."  
"Think about it. Putting yourself wholly into someone else's arms. All of yourself. You don't own yourself anymore. Everything belongs to another person. Even your body and thoughts. Isn't it frightening... isn't it scary?" Althought itachi said it was scary, his expression remained the same. He never looked scared. Not ever. a pause before his younger brother uttered something so impacting, Itachi still remembered it to the present day.  
"Nee san, Are you scared of love?"]]]  
(G)--%---_

Itachi's eyes slid shut. Kisame's embrace was warm and inviting. 'I... i'm liking this...' Itachi thought, leaning slightly into Kisame. 'I really am.'  
'Strange. Hadn't i decided not to love? Hadn't i decided i would abandon the one thing to make me weak? Hadn't i decided never to give myself away?'  
He opened his eyes as Kisame pulled away and looked at Itachi. 'I feel so...' Itachi looked right back, his face slightly flushed, though Kisame couldn't see it in the dark.  
The older boy fell forward, his forhead burning with heat, and uttered a single word...

"Soh... ma."

**Itachi froze.  
**--  
_Not seeing that loving you  
That's what I was trying to do_

* * *

Please Review.

I HATED WRITING THIS. I'm beginning to wish i'd never invented this Sohma dude, cause it pains me to write about Itachi seriously trusting Kisame, and then Kisame ends up uttering the wrong name. GODDAMMIT. Rofl.  
I hoped you liked it!! The update was an attept at regaining my readers. I can't answer your reviews right now due to time constraints, but thanks to my AWESOME reviewers, you're ALL PWNSOMEZZZZZ!!!! XDXD  
Wonder what's next.


	17. Chapter 17

My new favourite song is "I Kissed A Boy" by Cobra Starship XDXDXD  
Rofl. Don't ask. It's a thing of mine, getting hooked to old songs.

I UNDERSTAND IF YOU HATE SOHMA. It's what's he's there for ^^  
Do not worry, my good people. All will be well. (I think.)  
Thank you for the long reviews, ShadowSorceress13!! They are as long as ever. LOVES.

Now, back to the next chapter. I heard yelling of "FIX IT", so let me have a go XD  
[I don't know if it's really big, but this fic is added to the Community Archive "Yaoi Awesomeness" XDXD That has a nice rign to it, too.]

* * *

"WOW. Ok, i didn't expect You of all people to get it on so fast, man." Hidan grinned, and this was greeted with a smack on the head by Kakuzu. "OW!!"

Hidan and Kakuzu had been sent to get Itachi and Kisame for breakfast, who had spent the night in the trailer, because Kisame developed a fever, and they didn't want to wake him up. They were supposed to get a doctor in the morning after morning meal. But when Hidan and Kakuzu went to find the 2, Itachi was leaning against the back board of the head board, only partially covered by the comforter as he held Kisame, who was evidently, holding him back. While the older boy was still in a slightly feverish sleep, the younger had woken up already, and felt overwhelming embarassment at being discovered in such an awkward pose.

"I did not. Um. _Get_ it on." Itachi said carefully, and Hidan grinned at his wrinkled nose. Itachi hated crass language, and Hidan loved using it to provoke the other. Kakuzu sighed as he looked at Kisame, who didn't move. "Do you want to wake him up on your own?" he asked, and Itachi blinked at him. "Um. Yeah, sure." Itachi replied, realising what a dolt he must have sounded like, using "um" both of the two times he'd spoken. Kakuzu nodded, glaring at hidan, who'd opened his mouth to speak, and closed it again, as they headed for the door.

'Wow. kakuzu must be someone special to be able to make Hidan shut it.' Itachi thought, smirking a little as he was one of them. Then he looked down at Kisame.

G)--%---  
_Itachi **froze**._

_Kisame breathed heavily into Itachi's chest, and the smaller boy squirmed slightly uncomfortably, as his head fell against the wooden base of the bed. He looked up at the shut curtains and sighed. Trying not to wake the other, Itachi pulled and pushed slowly till eventually, Kisame managed to somehow get on the bed. Itachi covered him up with the comforter, making sure no light came through the red curtains. Softly, he grabbed a chair from the small "living room" for 2 in the trailer, and sat next to the bed, his chin in his hands, watching Kisame. The other's eyes fluttered several times, but never really came completely alert. After 10 minutes of this, Itachi made to go and see the others._

_"Don't." Kisame muttered, and Itachi turned to look back at him. "Why?" he whispered, in case the other could grant him some form of answer, anything.  
"Because i want you to stay... no one else..." Kisame's eyes fluttered open, and Itachi saw a glazed look in his eyes. Kisame wasn't feeling well, for sure. Itachi looked at the door one final time, knowing he wouldn't be able to tolerate Kisame after the other had said something like that. He sighed and made his way back to the bed._

_Itachi sat down, and let out a slow breath, glancing at the curtains as a light from outside lit the trailer for a minute. The show must have ended, a display of brief fireworks always being Deidara's way to end shows. Looking at Kisame, who had pushed himself up slightly against the headboard, Itachi asked, "Why am i different? Why... what makes me special? Why wouldn't you want anyone else?" he asked, wondering if Kisame was still seeing him as someone else. kisame laughed. "You know... i really don't know." his hand reached out to cup Itachi's cheek, and Itachi, not being able to stand being seen as someone aside from himself, shook Kisame's grip off.  
_

_Kisame froze this time. He looked at his hand, then at Itachi's face, which was lit once more for a second by a final show of fire from outside.  
"You're... you're not Sohma."  
_

_'You don't say.' Itachi thought bitterly, but as he looked up at Kisame's face, he felt his heart skip a beat.  
Kisame had tears streaming down the corner of his face, angled toward the window, looking away from Itachi. somehow, even at a time like this, Itachi managed to flush.  
Itachi felt an overwhelming sense of karma as he said glibly, 'What are you talking about?' he drew the curtains together firmly, shutting out all light. this caused Kisame to jump slightly. "Of... of course i'm Sohma, idiot." Itachi stumbled a little, hating every second of this terrible role-playing. He took off Kisame's over coat, pulling it over the other chair in the dining room. Kisame paused, looking at Itachi intently. for a second, Itachi felt afraid of Kisame. Would he be angry if he realised Itachi was trying to stand in for this Sohma-guy?  
_

_Kisame smiled and Itachi let out a slow breath. "Yes. Can you hold me." he asked in a statement, and Itachi, without thinking, nodded. He kicked off his slippers and got under the covers with Kisame, holding him.  
'Ouch.' Itachi thought, smiling a sad smile. 'for a second there i thought he was hugging me. But i guess he's hugging this Sohma-guy.' he glanced down at Kisame, who had wrapped his arms around Itachi's waist. Kisame mumbled something, and Itachi ignored this, slowly and gently wiping the tear stains on Kisame's face.  
_

_"Can you love me?" Kisame mumbled, his face turned up to gaze at Itachi, who had frowned and looked down at him with shock at the sentence. Itachi ran a hand through his hair, removing the hair tie, and sighed deeply. "Yes. I can." Itachi replied simply, not being able to stand this. Kisame smiled, and resumed his attempts to sleep. "Thank you..." he said.  
_

_"Itachi..."_  
G)--%---

Itachi flushed bright red, and got out of the bed as fast as he could. The unfortunate result of this, however, was Kisame's head hitting the backboard. This caused, in turn, a very awkward minute of silence as Kisame woke to his full alertness, and pain. Searing pain which shot to his head. "OW." he pronounced, and Itachi's eyes grew wide.  
"I'm so sorry!!" Itachi called out, and then, in a calmer tone as Kisame came to the edge of the bed on his own, rubbing the forming bump on his head, "Sorry..."

Kisame looked up at him, and for a second, their eyes met. Itachi's face shot up the colour scale to beetroot.  
The older boy shook his head. "No... I'm sorry." he said, and Itachi watched as Kisame hugged him again, not knowing what to do in the warmth he was experiencing. He felt Kisame's lips brush the top of his head.

And then Kisame scratched his head, and went off to brush his teeth, smiling.  
Itachi was left to blush stupidly in the narrow walkway of the trailer.

* * *

"Kamelot's coming in 10." Hidan announced, grinning as he looked up from his watch. Itachi glanced at him. "How come?" he asked, directing his attention at his food. Hidan played with his scrambled eggs, grinning. "When you and Kisame went off stage like your were allergic to the rest of us, I spotted her near the front of the stage, and managed to get her to come today. She said she'd bring a friend if she could."

"Who said who'd bring a friend?"

Hidan turned around. "Kamelot!!" he said, and he grinned, jumping out of his chair. She had this guy behind her, looking around the place, his eyes accessing the buffet and room decor. She grinned, in a nice and plain change of clothes. A white basic simple blouse, with a ribbon, and army capris. Her hair was combed and as neat as a street kid could be. Hidan grinned again as she smiled at him. Deidara got up and went over to greet her as well. "So, who's this?" Hidan nodded to the guy behind her.

Kamelot smiled as the guy nodded to the rest politely. "He teaches me at the library." she shot Hidan and the rest, especially Konan, a meaningful look. The boy shifted slightly. "Hey everyone. I'm Seth." he said, and Hidan grinned at him. "Hey. Have you guys eaten anything? Cause' the stuff here is freaking good."

All this while, Kakuzu had been focusing solely on Hidan. His subconscious knew the reason, his conciousness wouldn't admit it. Kakuzu was falling hard for the boy, and he waasn't willing to do anything about it. Aside from this, Hidan had been showing over and over again how he despised Kakuzu. How could the Tsukisa band member try to force himself onto Hidan after so many clear indications of hatred? Kakuzu sighed, digging into his food to finish it.  
"What'cha thinkin'."

Kakuzu looked to his left. Sasori sat there, looking at his food like it was performing for him, and he hadn't said a thing. Kakuzu shook his head. "Nothing." he said, and Sasori looked at him for a second. Then, calmly, pronounced precisely, "BS."  
Kakuzu laughed. Whenever Sasori said BS it was kind of funny. [BS= Bullshit] "Yeah, maybe something's up." Kakuzu said, deciding if anyone was to be trusted, it would be his band members, people he considered his family. Besides, he'd never displayed his sexual orientations. Heck, he hardly knew his sexual orientations.

Sasori turned to him. "So, what is it? Feeling jealous or something?" he asked slyly, and Kakuzu punched him one. "Quit that. I'm not. She already has a boyfriend."  
Sasori blinked. "What are you talking about? I was talking about Tobi and Zetsu."  
Kakuzu snorted, nearly. He leaned on his elbow. "And what on earth are You talking about? I'm not in love with either of them."  
The redhead grinned. "I knew it!! You like the albino." he said, and Kakuzu rolled his eyes. "Great job Sherlock. If you're so awesome, why'd you ask about Tobi and Zetsu?"  
"Just wanted to screw your mind up." Sasori shrugged, and Kakuzu growled.

Stirring his coffee, Sasori asked, "So what are you going to do about it?" Kakuzu finished off his food and pulled his mask back on smartly. "I don't know." he confided, and Sasori grinned. "So, for once you find yourself at a complete and utter loss." the redhead teased, and kakuzu rolled his eyes. "You going to give me some advice or do i have to strangle you to get some?" he asked, and Sasori glanced at Hidan. "Honestly, i have no idea. We've only just met these other people." he sighed. "I might be getting in too deep myself."

Kakuzu looked at him out the corner of his eye. "The blonde?" Sasori simply nodded.

Scratching the back of his head, Kakuzu said, "Dealing with stuff one day at a time." Another nod from Sasori. And then a smirk.  
"But you can bet," he said, twirling his form between his fingers and then savagely stabbing a tea cake, "I'm not allowing anyone else have him."  
Kakuzu smirked. Sasori and him could relate to each other so well at times.

* * *

"So, no one else is coming?" Itachi questioned, and a shake of everyone's head informed him they were ready to move off.

As a result of an extremely good opening gig, Konan and Pein decided it would be fair to allow the band members to have some fun. They were going out on a group outing with Kamelot and her _ahem _friend. Hidan grinned as they stepped out of the hotel and onto the road. Open air always did have a nice calming effect on him. He used to sleep more outside than in, but since he didn't really have time now, he had to resort to power sleeping indoors. Kamelot poked his arm and smiled. Hidan nodded, and Seth smiled at all of them.

"Where are we going?" he asked.  
Everyone froze and stared at Itachi and Hidan. They held up their hands at the same time.  
"Hey, don't ask me." "What're you lookin' at me for?"  
Seth laughed. "Let's go. A mall somewhere, right? I'll bring." he said, and the rest followed him.  
Roughly 10 minutes later, they arrived at a mall behind the hotel. It was large and probably had a large arrray of shops to go through. Deidara grinned at Kamelot.  
"We have work to do, un." he said.

At this point in time, a girl walked past the entire bunch. She was wearing a stylish tube top and hot shorts, with a black adidas bag and various necklaces and bracelets. She stopped in front of them and stared. Seth, who was gesturing rather animatedly to Tobi as they spoke about World Of Warcraft, didn't see this and was jabbed.  
"Seth? what the hell are you doing out here? You said you were going out for a group study." she said, frowning. Kamelot looked at Seth, who had presumably told her he'd gotten clearance to go out with them. Luckily, Kisame sussed it out and approached the girl, who promptly took a step back and flushed slightly.

"Ah, hi, I'm Seth's classmate. We were studying. However, we decided we should go out and buy the materials for our project before we discussed so that there wouldn't be a break in between the progress of our work." he said smoothly, and the girl bought it immediately. "Ah, um, of course. I'm sorry. I didn't realise." she looked past him and stared, confused, at Seth, who was grinning widely with the rest of them.

"What are you doing with people who lead normal lives, my abnormal older brother?" she teased, leaning her elbow on Seth's shoulder. Kamelot smiled and moved a step away from them. Hidan frowned. What the hell was going on. "So, is this the girl you talk about all the time?" she asked, nodding at Kamelot, who turned away swiftly. She grinned. "There's nothing so special about her."

There was an immediate reaction to this. Hidan growled, as Deidara grit his teeth as a angered, "What, un?" trickled through his lips, and even Itachi frowned. Tobi, who was chatting with Zetsu, looked at the scene out the corner of his eye. Kamelot held onto Hidan's arm, as if urging him silently not to do anything rash. Kakuzu frowned, putting his hand on Hidan's shoulder, who was already inching forwards. "What is your freaking deal?" Hidan asked the girl, and she scrowled perfectly. "Nothing, what the hell's your's?" she asked, and Seth frowned at this. "Alexis, apologise now." he said, and the girl flinched, as she glared at Seth.

"Shut up, Seth, stop ordering me around!! I'm the one who covered your ass all those times you went out even though i knew you weren't going out with Liam, Joseph and Jonathan." she retorted, and Seth growled. "...What did you just say?" he said threateningly, but Kamelot held his arm as well, letting Hidan's go. Kamelot smiled her usual smile.  
"We can meet up some other time. For now just go and complete your "project", ok?" she said, trying to turn it into a joke. She turned to the girl and nodded, to which Alexis blatantly ignored as she gave a soft "Hmph."

Hidan lost it, he yelled as he reached out to sock her one in the face, a scene which would be captioned, "Hidan Does not Hesitate to Hurt A Girl, In Public."  
But Seth got there first. He slapped Alexis clean across the face and ran after Kamelot.  
This was met with stifled giggles and laughter which shook the entire group slightly, and Alexis turned red, cussing after her brother. Hidan turned to her and grinned. "You need to learn some manners, little girl. A guy won't stand to have his girl insulted, not even by his mother. What makes you think he'll take it from his sister?" he said, and she glared at him. "Whatever. I don't care. But that girl's a street kid, and Seth's going to regret going with her. If they stay together, she's going to ruin his life."

The entire group turned on her, and pleased to see she'd caused such a reaction, she smirked boldly. Itachi walked up to her. "Alexis, right?" he asked, and she tilted her head upwards rudely. "What about it?" she replied. A small crowd had gathered from afar to watch. Hidan regarded them with next to no concern, more interested in what Itachi was going to tell her. Itachi frowned. "We have only just met." he leaned in slightly. "But my opinions of you are NEVER, going to change." he said, glaring at her intensely. She covered her face with her forearm and glared right back, her face red with embarassment. "Shut up!! You don't know anything!!" she shouted, raising her arm to hit Itachi. He stood still in place.

Kisame reached forward.

Hidan grabbed her from behind and turned her to face him. Her hand came swiftly across his face, and a loud smack could be heard. It was as if someone had publicly proclaimed their worship for dirt, the way everyone gasped. Hidan chuckled, his eyes settling on the girl who was glaring at Itachi over her shoulder.  
"Look, you." he said, and she tossed her hair. He raised one of his eyebrows and angled his face toward her, which Kakuzu absently thought, made him look extremely slick and sexy. "I'm not going to stand here waiting for you to raise shit against one of my friends. You want a fight, pick on someone your own size." he said, even though he was slightly taller than she was. She scoffed, and Hidan frowned. "You rude littl..."

"Hidan."

Hidan looked back and saw Kakuzu watching him. He glared at him and turned sharply away, wincing as he saw Kisame holding Itachi by the shoulders. Itachi had his hand on his right elbow, and he nodded for hidan to leave the group. Konan turned her head away, and Hidan began to walk away.  
"Hidan, un..." Deidara reached out for a second, then he retracted his arm.  
Alexis stood in a flurry og confusion, and Tobi whispered in her ear from behind.  
She turned to look at him in a mixture of horror and fear, and ran away, her black stiletto boots clacking noisily. Tobi avoided the gaze of everyone present and looked at Hidan.

He faced Kakuzu and smiled.

"You better go after him."

And so, Kakuzu went.  
Honestly, the brat was annoying as hell. He whined and whinged about being either too hot or too cold, picked his cloths obsessively the day before, had no bother for being thrifty at all ('MY god, the money that flew out the window when he sits in an Ice Cream parlor' Kakuzu thought), and all in all, he was an annoying as hell brat that Kakuzu didn't know why he put up with. Why on earth did he have tolerance for this kind of shit.

He glimpsed Hidan crouching in an alley of the street, panting slightly. He walked up to the albino and cast a shadow over him with his built figure. "You ok." he said, like a statement. He offered Hidan his hand. But the albino slapped it away, hissing with disgust. He got up on his own, pulling Kakuzu into the alley so that they didn't cause more public attention.

"What the hell happened back there?" Hidan asked in anger. Before Kakuzu could reply, the boy spat, "Why'd you stop me?! she deserved it, she was acting like a complete and total bit..." Kakuzu put his finger on Hidan's lips.  
Leaning in, very, very close, Kakuzu smiled. "Your sense of inate Justice is appallingly adorable, Hidan." he said, and Hidan's eyes widened. He leaned back and looked at Kakuzu, who folded his arms as though he hadn't said anything. Jerking his head across the road, he said, "There's an ice cream place over there. Come on, i'll bring you."  
He started off before Hidan for the place he'd spotted.

'Why'd i do that.' he wondered briefly, but as he looked at Hidan's flushing face as the young boy took hold of a handful of cloth from Kakuzu's coat sleeve and refused to let go, that it really was, all in all, something worth doing... Besides...  
Being nice was kind of refreshing for a change.

* * *

Please Review.

GAHH!!! There was a period of time i couldn't sign in to fanfic (dot) net, and i wondered if my life was RUINED. it probably would be, without REVIEWS to look forward to...  
OMG the shame in being shameless!! HAHAX. But seriously, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!  
This was by far, one of the longest chapters EVER... =="


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for the reviews everyone!!  
I'm pretty in the mood for writing because something PWNSOME happened to me yesterday...  
I'm not sure if anyone knows this, cause i think i only told a couple of people... but i'm on my school debating team ^^  
And I'm from SACSS, for anyone in Singapore. Saint Anthony's Canossian Secondary School.  
Yesterday, we went up against Maris Stella, this really good and top notch School... AND WE WON!! The motion was This House Supports Homeschooling, and we're opposition. I was the third speaker, so all i had to do was key down rebuttals and use some of the prepared ones. But this was my first time doing a 3rd speaker speech... and i was pretty much, well, suicidal ==" I think i hid that pretty well, because i got Best Speaker of the day!!  
ZOMG. WHEEE!!!! XD

* * *

"Tobi, what's wrong?" Zetsu asked Tobi, who was staring after Kakuzu, who was gone off to search for Hidan. The boy smiled and turned around, grinning at Zetsu, who was slightly flushed. "Nothing!!" he said happily, and he went back to the group. "Now what?" he asked.  
"Valid question, that one is." Itachi sighed, running a hand through his hair, which he had let down and was re-tying. "Hidan and Kakuzu are gone, and Kamelot and Seth are off somewhere else." Deidara grinned. "Pein and Konan are back at the hotel, un. They never wanted to come out cause they tired themselves out yesterday, un." he smiled widely as everyone else around him sweatdropped, even Tobi. 'They aren't tired one bit.' they thought, full of disdain at Deidara's innate innocence.

Tobi had chosen this moment to glance at Zetsu. The older boy was smiling, looking up at the good weather with cheeriness. Tobi smiled. he knew who had left him the cute bouquet on his bed that night, and although he didn't say so, it cheered him up to no end. The message sent to Madara was forgotten, and Tobi was able to enjoy the gig properly with no regrets, albeit being slightly emo before it began.

"Let's make the most of the day. Let's all do what we want to!!" Tobi grinned, and Itachi smiled. "Sure. Just be back at the hotel before dinner, everyone." he said in a soft tone, and Kisame looked away for a second. And thus, they split up. Kisame went with Itachi, Tobi went off with Zetsu, Deidara and Sasori went off on their own. Zetsu asked, "may i follow you? I dislike being on my own because i'd end up having nothing to do." he said sheepishly, and Tobi grinned. "Sure, if you weren't around, i'd end up getting lost anyways." he admitted, and they set off for a row of shops. "Can we walk around? We'll just go with the flow?" Tobi asked, and Zetsu nodded. Tobi smiled a cute smile, and Zetsu distracted himself, to no avail. _Click._

As they walked, an increasing amount of people watched them pass. Tobi had on an orange shirt with a black double zip vest, and army capris. On his black belt he hung a mask with a singular eye hole, a swirl being its pattern. His shoes were of the Converse variety, splashed with logos. With his signature orange goggles, Tobi looked cute, fun and goofy. Zetsu, on the other hand, sported a slightly more serious and mysterious look with a tinted visor planted untidily on his head, and a dark green turtleneck shirt with black pants, laced with a matching dark green up each pant leg. His combat boots were laced loosely to easen walking, and as they made their noise along the pavement, girls would turn to look, and looks would gradually turn to stares.

"Oh my god, look!! They look so cute..."  
"I like the cute one..."  
"Ooh, it's the one with the visor for me!!"  
"Ehh?! No way!!"  
"I like his Converse shoes!!" [Sweatdrop...]

This gradually got old. They spoke of light subjects, till Zetsu finally took a chance. "Tobi, you know a couple of days ago, the day before the gig?" he asked, and Tobi looked up at him, a little too serious for himself. "Hmm? What about it?" he asked, a jump to his tone. Zetsu sighed. "I don't know. you seemed a little out of it. Want to talk about it?" he asked.  
Tobi looked up at the sky. It was a wavering mix of blue and white, a light breeze to the air. His mind was telling him not to let anything too important out, moderating information and keeping things quiet was his niche area, but somehow, his heart, dare he say, was nagging him to tell someone else, as it had been for a long time.

Tobi decided to wait.  
"You know Zetsu," he turned to the older boy who loked at him upon the sound of his name, "Some things are just meant for only one to bear."  
At this, he turned sharply around the bend with a wide grin on his face, and Zetsu sighed. Somehow, some way, he was going to get this 'thing' off Tobi's back. Because sometimes... sometimes carrying the luggage of life could simply get too much for one to bear.

* * *

Tobi felt a vibration in his right pocket.  
Fishing around in it, he observed the caller ID box. Unfortunately, this person appeared to be calling from a private number that forbade the number showing up. Rolling his eyes privately, he grinned apologetically at Zetsu as he pushed the green button. "Hello, Tobi here."

_"Ahh, good. A secure line. Now tell me, how is my son doing?"_

Tobi froze up. Uchiha Itachi's father. Oh how he despised the man. "Unfortunately..." he said, through gritted teeth, "This line is reserved for Uchiha Madara, and Uchiha Madara alone. I have no business communicating with you. Inform him i will contact him through a new line, since this one is no longer 'secure', as you would put it." Tobi spat in disgust. He hung up quickly, and threw the cellphone on the floor. Its screen cracked, and everyone around who witnessed the scene muttered in confusion. Tobi's eyes were turning a fiery orangey red, and Zetsu frowned. "Tobi..." he muttered, staring at the mechanical mess on the floor.

"DAMMIT!!" He yelled, his eyes reaching a peak of anger, and Zetsu frowned as he stepped on the caller card, snapping it in 2. Leaving the mess on the floor, Tobi stomped off, and Zetsu sighed, rubbing his temples for a second before nodding apologetically to everyone there, and running after the angered Uchiha.  
"Tobi, you have got to stop it and tell me what's going on! I'm worried, and..." Zetsu stopped as he watched Tobi's eyes slide shut, only to open with his usual onyx mirror irises. Tobi turned from Zetsu. "I can't." he said simply, and he pulled out of Zetsu's unconscious grip, walking away. Zetsu allowed a good distance of 5 steps, and followed the boy in silence.

The silence carried on for half an hour.

Tobi turned around and let out a tired and retired sigh. "What is it, Zetsu. You've been following me for half an hour."  
Zetsu scratched the back of his head, pausing the due distance of a meter behind Tobi. "I want you to tell me what's wrong. Maybe i can help." he said, and Tobi turned.  
Tobi wondered to himself, 'What do i have to lose. Zetsu doesn't seem like someone who would easily betray someone's trust.' But how could he be sure?  
"You'd hate me." Tobi said, testily. Zetsu shook his head, laughing. On impulse, the taller boy held Tobi from behind, nuzzling neatly into his neck. No one was around as he said, "Tobi, i don't think something like that's remotely possible." resuming his position like nothing had happened, Zetsu nodded briefly in the direction they'd came from.

"Why don't we talk over some food." he suggested, and Tobi nodded. He decided to trust Zetsu, following the other with a flush on his face.  
'Why had Zetsu done such a thing? According to what i know, hugging someone means you like them. Unless it's a playful hug, and that didn't seem to be a playful hug... does Zetsu like me?' he wondered, and at the thought, he flushed even more.

Zetsu looked in the window. 'A nice restaurant,' he thought. This was followed by _'God dammit. You just embarassed yourself. Why the hell did ya hold that boy anyway?'_ 'Shut up. I need full capacity to take in what he's about to tell me. this is important.' _'You're a fun sucker.'_ 'Yeah, yeah, go away.' Zetsu was slightly irritated as he pronounced in english, "Table for 2." The waiter picked up 2 menus and brought them swiftly to a table. The restaurant was rather empty, and Tobi, sensing the opportunity before he told Zetsu his long, LONG story, searched in his other pocket. 'Wallet, no. Keys, no. Kay card, oh, i thought Zetsu took it, but no anyway. Ahh. There it is.' He pulled out a slim cell phone, one which Zetsu recognised was the IPhone. He sighed as he acessed Zetsu's confused but amused gaze.

"It's always handy to have a standby." Tobi answered, not helping much as he inserted a brand new call card. He had always prepared spare cards for occasions like these, when he couldn't help but so something in a fit of anger. The last time he had a fit of anger, it was a pity he had something sharp around him. If you considered a chair sharp. Somehow, Tobi had decapitated that schoolmate, who'd obstinately refused to stop bothering Uchiha Itachi, with a chair. No one had ever known but that boy Tobi, since the boy had become so afraid of Tobi, he'd never spoken the name again.

After the IPhone had synched to the new call card, Tobi texted Uchiha Madara. _'Uchiha Itachi's father had contacted me using the line we had. I have no choice but to switch my line.'_  
Seconds later, a reply informed him,_ 'Such insolence. He had something important to tell you, brat.'_ Tobi sensed the inner tone of amusement. It was a lucky thing Madara was in a good mood. He replied, _'Will you relay the message?'_ This was not replied to, and Tobi slid the phone into his pocket.

"Zetsu... what do you know of the Uchiha's?" Tobi asked.  
Zetsu shook his head. Nothing much. "I see..." Tobi smiled a bitter smile. They ordered, and Tobi, chewing a cube of ice, recalled memories he'd rather not, and told them slowly, one by one, to his listening companion. To his listening friend.

_The Uchiha's were a renounned family of musicians.  
There was no questioning it. If you had no musical talent, you were placed in the family outhouse of Hamasaki, or if you were THAT bad, the Kyoto branch. Only if you proved to be exceptional, you would be accepted in the family branch of Tokyo. The ones who made it each generation were trapped in cages of strict regimes and specific schedules... no Uchiha was exempted from this ruthless treatment. Everyday was a mixture of practise, tests and sleep. Tests were held every half a year. You were either in, or you were out. Of the few lucky ones who had managed to earn a permanent room at the Tokyo Uchiha Family House were Tobi, Itachi and Sasuke._

_The timeless regime got tiring. as each day passed, the schedules melted into an endless stretch of hell. The front porch was as far as you went for a walk, and the diets were tailored to a T. Everything was tailored to the specific person with regards to his or her musical instrument and ability. If for an instant, you were caught off tune, you were punished.  
The training system of the Uchiha's were flawless._

_Cruel, but Flawless._

"And everyone in the Uchiha family lived under these conditions." Zetsu asked in disbelief. Tobi nodded. Thoughtfully, he stirred his drink. Zetsu wondered briefly how Tobi had grown to be so different, and sighed. Although he liked the cute and goofy Tobi, this serious and mysterious Tobi was all good for him as well.  
_'Perv.'  
_'Hey, shut up.'  
Tobi glanced at Zetsu and smiled. Putting his hand on the others cheek, Tobi questioned, "Honestly, not to steal a line, but why so serious?" he grinned, and Zetsu looked into the warm steamy depths of his soup, liking the feel of Tobi's hand on his face. He shut his eyes and leaned lightly into the touch.  
Tobi smiled a sad smile, and lifted Zetsu's chin to look at him to continue his story.

_The idealistic and lofty expectations of the elders were near unattainable. They desired perfection and flawlessness. Till they achieved it, they would push us to our limits.  
there were few who came close. With his nimble fingers and speedy wrist-flicks, Itachi mastered the Violin. With his quick eyes and teasingly fast tunes, Sasuke commandeered the Sax.  
And Tobi, with his light and heavy breath, which came in whichever order he wished, and his practiced digits, crowned the Flute._

_They were drilled to participate in Contests and Competitions by the dozen. they were skilled not only in playing the instruments, but had to be trained to the extent of knowing how to assemble one in a matter of minutes. In a grade assessment in the past, everyone in the advanced department were required to fashion an instrument of their trade. The winning designs were to be sold in the Uchiha Company, Symphonies Of Souls, its famous abbreviation SOS, akin to Save Our Souls. Everyone, even the ones who had just began in music, somehow or another knew of this famous company. It was akin to Yamaha, Fender and Ovation... Symphonies Of Souls specialized in classical instruments._

_And thus, Itachi had fashioned a Violin. It was made of polished oac, painted black right before it was polished, giving it an extra shimmery gleam under stage lights. It had a streak of gold around its base that weaved its way up the side. the bow itself was made of the same wood and was matching to the Violin. The fine horse hairs were strung individually by Itachi. Many a night before the final assignment had been submitted, Itachi would stay up till 3 or 4am in order to complete the desired amount of work on the instrument. Tobi remembered clearly how Itachi had won the contest, and how he had been stiffly congratulated, but pushed the prize from himself._

_"Give it to Sasuke."_

_And they did. Sasuke's instrument, with its own unique quality, was sold in stores, and it made a hotseller. Anything by Sasuke Uchiha was a hot seller, as it was with Itachi and a few select others. Sasuke was happy, and Itachi was happy Sasuke was happy, and Tobi was glad they were both happy.  
And then the elders found out Itachi was playing the bass guitar._

_They were absolutely furious. Tobi briefly wondered during itachi's 4 hour long isolated lecture with his father what would have happened if he had been caught playing the drums. They would probably punish him to the max, but leave his hands unmarred. Since he would need them to play the flute and all. Since he would have to play the flute for THEM.  
As Itachi slid the door open, he walked past the group of elders, ignoring the usual protocols of nodding with politeness or greeting them individually. Tobi awaited him against the screen door. "Alright?" he asked. Itachi only nodded before saying, "Get packed."_

_"We leave tonight."_

"And you just left the Uchiha family house like that." Zetsu stated, and Tobi nodded slowly. "Itachi was set on leaving." he said, and Zetsu nodded. They smiled at each other, sharing what seemed like a private joke. "Itachi's very strong. He left without any word to the family." Tobi said, and Zetsu waited.  
"Not even his little brother."

Zetsu looked at him for a minute, and sipped his drink. "Sasuke?"  
"Yes. Sasuke was furious when he found out. He'd, apparantly, been having a few secrets of his own. Itachi had been practicing the bass, and Sasuke had been trying out the drums, just like me." Tobi sighed. "I had suspected something like this. It wasn't normal for Sasuke to be out so often because he wasn't much for socialising."  
Zetsu nodded. As he ate, he noticed Tobi seemed to grow a sense of hesitation. He reached out to Tobi and ruffled his hair in a friendly manner. "What else?" he said, and Tobi didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what Zetsu wanted.

Tobi sighed. "I've been lying." he stared at his soup intently as Zetsu awaited an elaboration.

_As Tobi turned to leave the main function room, an elder held him back with a tap on his shoulder. "Tobi kun, we need to speak with you. Will you speare us some time." the question sounded like a statement the way he said it, and Tobi had no room to argue. He turned and sat back down on the tatami matted floor._

_"We know about you playing the drums."_

_Tobi froze. Oh no. He remembered the reaction the elders had to Itachi's playing the bass. "Yes." he admitted, finding it useless in denying it. They looked at him hardly, and finally, after a few agonizing minutes of silence, he met the gaze of the elders.  
"And we also know Itachi kun is planning on running away to form a band. And that he has requested you to join him."_

_Tobi grit his teeth. "And? You wll make me convince him to stay?"  
"On the contrary, we are allowing you to leave." Tobi blinked. Whut.  
"From this day on, you will severe ties with Uchiha. You will follow Uchiha Itachi, and you will report to us what his movements are." the elders said firmly, and Tobi stared at them. He stood up, sweeping his hand aside. "Are you crazy?! Itachi is a prodigy... you really think he'll fall for something like this??!"_

_"We know you, Tobi Uchiha." one of the silent elders spoke up. Tobi glared at her. "You're IQ doesn't lie." she said, sneakily. He looked at them, confused._

_"These tests reveal your real intelligence. Intelligence which surpasses many here, and is on par with Uchiha itachi's." they slid photocopied materials across the smooth tabletop, and Tobi recognised them as IQ tests he'd done in his free time to test himself. He'd kept these in his room, and as he was about to ask, one of the elsers held up his hand. "We looked through your possessions. Do not question us. You, Tobi Uchiha, have been lying to us about your intelligence for years. and this is a betrayal in itself. You wished to stay in the Uchiha family house, and swore upon entering it that no lies were to be held. by right, we should keep you in the outhouse till you die."_

_Tobi shivered, but met their eyesight all the same. "And?" he challenged. "Will you do so?"  
the elders shook their heads, one by one. "No, Tobi. We have told you. You will follow Uchiha Itachi. And you will tell us. In exchange for this, you will be allowed to play the drums. and he will be allowed to play the bass. An appealing deal, yes yes?" the 1st elder on his left looked at him. Tobi tsked under his breath, muttering curses._

_"And your decision, Tobi? what is your decision?"_

"Yes." Tobi told Zetsu, and the other looked at him. "My answer was yes, i would. I would spy, i would help them, i would betray itachi, i would lie. my answer was yes. the second i said that, i'd dug my own grave." he looked up at the ceiling, still, after all these years, unwilling to believe the extent he'd go to for his beloved passion for the drums. Stoned, he looked at the other man across him.

Zetsu smiled.

As he leaned across the table, and kissed Tobi lightly, he said,  
"Don't worry. It'll be ok."

And really, from the bottom of his soul, Tobi starts imagining the beginning Beethoven's 5th Concerto play.

* * *

Please Review.

That sucked balls. And it took really long.  
But please review anyway :D


	19. Chapter 19

WOOTZ!! Finally. Next chapter. Sorry for the latenosity, blame -ahem- SCHOOL.

* * *

Itachi blinked, and continued walking. Kisame looked at what he stared at, and chuckled. "Sex shops are dime a dozen in America, Itachi. Haven't you ever been here?" he asked, and Itachi looked away, shaking his head. Kisame stopped short. "No way!! You've never been to America??!"

They had left the group about 20 minutes earlier, walking into a shopping district. Although it sold clothes and souvenirs for a while, as they proceeded down the place, the shops turned to a punk and goth variety, and some shady looking ones, too. Itachi kept his face impassive, although he was surprised that they would advertise their business so boldly. Only the darkest streets of Tokyo displayed stuff like that, and this was broad daylight, thanks.

Itachi nodded once to show yes, he hadn't stepped foot into this foreign place before. Kisame grinned. "Come on, let's go, let's go!! This place has loads of cool stuff." he stretched his arms out in front of him, and Itachi held a hand up to his forehead, sighing with a light-hearted frown.  
Itachi had on a red lycra shirt which hug tight to his slim frame and abs. (HOT XD jkjk) His hair was up in a high ponytail, haging swiftly over his black fake furred collar. The collar was part of a long coat which reached down to his knees. He had on long fitting black jeans and black combat boots with red laces.  
Kisame wore a black ripped sleeved pull on over a blue singlet. He had on blue sunglasses and demin jeans with large pockets. his jeans were chained and ripped near the bottom. His blue cap was perched carelessly backwards on his head.

"Oh wow... didn't they play at that free for all concert the other day?!" "it was yesterday, Kaitlin and Michael went for it." "Really? I wanted to go too..."  
"Mister hot stuff!!" "SHH!! they're right there, you know." "So? Look, if a guy is hot you should just say so..."  
"Which one do you prefer?" "I like the taller one." "Hah?! Why!? The short one is more mysterious." "But the tall one..."  
"..." "Samantha?" "..." -THUMP- "SAMANTHA?!?!?!"

Itachi looked behind him. Many people were staring at a girl who had collapsed on the floor. Kisame, noticing he was walking ahead turned back. "Itachi?" he called, as the other went back and knelt down next to the girl who was coughing. He frowned lightly, and offered her a hand casually. "Are you alright?"  
Trying to answer, the girl nodded, but continued to cough. Her tomboyish friend looked genuinely worried. Itachi looked at her. "Look, is there a doctor around here somewhere? i think we should see this through quickly." The girl nodded. Holding out one of her hands, she said, "The name's Natalie. Just call me Nat, this is Samantha." itachi nodded. "I'm Itachi, this is Kisame."

They knew alot of people were watching. Not just girls were sighing. Apparantly, America had more gays than they predicted.

Kisame put his hand on nat's shoulder. "I'll do it. Has she been sick a long time?" he asked, and Nat backed off. "Yes. Samantha has been sick since she was born." she frowned. "One of her bad days." Itachi sighed. 'I wish i could just spend some time with Kisame alone.' he thought.

'Wait. What??'  
'_Cause' you like him._'  
'What the hell. Who are you??'  
'_This sounds pretty cliche, but i'm your conscience._'  
'You're right, that does sound pretty cliche.'  
Itachi blinked in annoyance.  
'Now screw off.'

Silence.

Good.

Itachi walked on with Kisame, following the girl whose name was Natalie. They ignored the weak protests from Samantha, till it got so protestant that Itachi sighed in annoyance. "Um, Samantha. We're doing this because it's necessary. And besides," he nodded to Natalie, who was beckoning to Kisame. "Your friend seems very worried."  
Samantha kept quiet.  
Itachi sighed once again. "Don't worry. We're doing this because we need to."

Kisame finally led them through the glass doors of a poly clinic. Samantha sighed as she was lowered into a seat, and the other girl nodded with relief at the 2 of them. "Thanks, you guys. Sorry i had to bring you out all this way." she smiled. Itachi shook his head. "It's ok."  
Kisame smiled, holding Itachi's hand. "We'll be going, call this number once she's been checked to let us know if she's alright?" he asked, handing her Tsukisa and Akaku's double credentials card. Nat nodded. "Sam, we're going to go get checked, ok? Just hang in there..." Samantha nodded.

Natalie nodded to Kisame and itachi, pocketing the card she was given. Itachi smiled as they walked out of the ward, still unconsciously holding onto Kisme's hand. the latter seemed to happy to do so, but this was ruined, unfortunately, by a stupid nurse who smiled at their gesture, causing Itachi to remember what he was doing, and he hastily let go of Kisame's hand. "Ahh." he uttered in embarassment, and Kisame looked at him. "Um, yeah..."

They continued on awkwardly.

Although they had a short detour, they still had time to burn. Kisame looked out of the glass elevator they were in and sighed. Then he opened them. "Neh, Itachi, want to go... Itachi?" Kisame blinked. Itachi was doubled over the rails, his hand over his mouth.  
"Ahh... Kisame, I..." He turned away from outside and his eyes were wide with fear.

Kisame looked outward.

'Itachi... is scared of heights?'

* * *

Itachi felt like an idiot. come to think of it, he kind of looked it, too.

Kisame wwas worried. he looked at Itachi, and was relieved when the lift came to a stop.  
Wait a second. The lift came to a stop.  
And the door wasn't opening. This was faintly registered.  
OH SHIT.  
'OH MY GOD. OH. MY. GOD. WHY, WHY WHY WHY, WHY, WHY WHY, WHY!??! Oh my GOD!!! Oh my god...' Itachi thought on the SURFACE of his mind.

Kisame stepped up behind him and shielded his view of the outside. "Itachi, just take a couple of deep breaths." he said, and Itachi nodded faintly, hearing Kisame dial a number. He jabbed at the emergency lift button and wondered again WHY THE HELL the lift just HAD to malfunction while he was in it. Of all people, anyone, anyone but Itachi. Anyone but, god forbid, him. Oh god.

"Hello? Is this Hidan? Great. Hey, it's Kisame... And, yeah. I've got Itachi with me right now... no, we are not getting it o... look. We're stuck in a lift, and Itachi's getting freaked out. I think we might be a little late getting back. I don't know how long this is going to take. Ok. Kakuzu's still with you? Alright. Alright. Good, tell him to inform Pein for me, and you tell the blue haired lady... err, Konan, about Itachi. Yeah, ok." Kisame hung up. He turned to Itachi. "The lift button.. you pressed it?"

A nod. Itachi was kind of incoherent right now. He shivered. 'When did it get so cold?? what the heck, don't I have a jacket on?? Useless, stupid thing. I'm gonna burn it when i get back. Wait, will i get back? What if i die in this stupid lift??! oh my god!!'

^ Surface thoughts up there, people. surface thoughts. ^

Kisame looked at the younger boy and wrapped his left arm around him, his right hand coming on the Uchiha's eyes. "Just don't look." he instructed, and Itachi's hands which flailed in the beginning fells slowly to his sides, and he nodded. After what seemed like forever, his breathing stabilised. Kisame brought him to sit down, his back against the glass. "Just focus on me." Kisame prompted with a whisper. Itachi opened his mouth to say something, but decided to stay silent. His face was flushed, but Kisame didn't see this. Sighing, Kisame's head hit the back of the glass, and Itachi's head automatically shot to his back.

"Ahh." they said at the same time.

Kisame's face was just as flushed at itachi's. At the closeness, they flushed even more. Itachi looked behind Kisame, remembered where he was, and resumed shrinking in fear. Kisame couldn't help but chuckle at his plight, smiling even as Itachi scrowled at him. "It's going to be ok. Here, everything is way efficient. The lift is gonna move in a matter of minutes, ok?" He assured the younger one. Itachi looked up at him, and then at the metallic silver doors, giving a slight nod. He sighed after a minute, leaning back into what now seemed like a comfortable and familiar embrace. Kisame eased up, and while keeping his hand over Itachi's eyes, his other arm draped lazily across the other's stomach, and rested there.

The moments lngered in the air, each seeming longer than the previous. But neither minded. While the silence was unusual, it was a comfortable silence.

Eventually, Itachi felt the time wearing him out, and his eyes began to slide shut. He tried his best to keep awake, though. Kisame felt Itachi's eyelashes against his palm, drooping and snapping open again. He smiled as Itachi's eyelids finally slid shut for the final time without opening again. Convinced he could remove his hand now, he took it off and smiled. Itachi really was asleep.

And sleep was like the golden photoframe for him. His ebony hair splayed over Kisame's shirt in a pattern. His head was angled to the right, his skin fair and pale as usual. His eyelashes were long, Kisame noted, and his lips were thin and pinkish. His arm was thrown over Kisame's carelessly, and his legs were stretched out in front of him. But if Kisame was asked a feature most missed when Itachi was in sumber, he would answer immediately. 'His eyes,' Kisame believed, 'Are a feature to behold. And losing them while he seems perfect is such a waste.'

Sleeping beauty. Was Kisame supposed to play the prince? He chuckled softly.  
He waited peacefully for the lift to work again, his prize in his hands.

* * *

Please Review.

Sorry the chapter was so short!! I posted before i realized it  
plus, SCHOOL, as usual D: Has been keeping me BIZZEH.  
So please have mercy!!!!


	20. Chapter 20

Alright, your SasoDei chapter now :D hope you like it.

"WHAT THE HELL, SUISIDE?!! YOU GONE FOR SO DAMN EFFIN' LONG AND ALL YA CAN DO WHEN YOU GET BACK AND SERVE UP SOME HALF BAKED CHAPTER IS TO GIVE US SOME STUPID ONE LINER?!!?!? THIS BETTER BE GOOD, YOU DAMNED HO'!!!"

Eh. ok. Sorry.

* * *

Sasori and Deidara were walking down a row of shops, much like how Itachi and Kisame had been. Deidara stopped at every 3 shops, somehow managing to find something cool to show Sasori. "Look at the scarf, un!! It goes great with Tobi's black zipped vest." he would say, or something to the like. Sasori found it rathr queer Deidara had never spoken about his parents, and only of his band members. 'Wouldn't you.' he thought to himself. Although he hadn't spoken of his family either, it was different because by nature, Sasori was a pretty quiet kind of guy. He wasn't about to spill his life story to you in Starbucks over a decaf and latte. But Deidara seemed kind of different, more outgoing. Able to share.

But he hadn't, and Sasori was wondering why increasingly as the day passed, with Deidara bringing up his friends multiple times, but never his family. Finally, Sasori asked him in fleeting, "Deidara, your parents... are they in Japan?" Deidara looked up at him and smiled. He picked up a Tatty Bear, examining the small patches of cloth intentionally sewn in places to ake it seem old and comfortingly familiar. His smile was bittersweet as he replied, "I don't have parents. None that i need." he added quickly.

Sasori nodded. "Um. Yeah, ok." he said. Awkwardly, he proceeded next to Deidara, who continued on their outing with the same enthusiasm. 'Disappointing parents.' he said, grimacing slightly. 'I know all about that.'  
When Sasori was young, his parents had left to perform overseas. It wasn't that Sasori didn't know his parents. He knew them, actually, pretty well. He knew alot about both of them. But the thing was, they never really came back from they overseas performance. Till now, Sasori was told by his elders and grandmother that they were simply... missing. For a while back then, he would lay in bed and wonder why the hell they bothered to have him if they were going to leave him, but after a couple of years, Sasori grew to be immune to large bouts of pain. His elders or cousins died. Ok. No big deal,really, why on earth is everyone crying? The family dog got run over by a car. Oh no. I kind of liked that one, but oh well. Back to the pet store.

Sasori slowly became immune to pain. The wort part, people allowed him to become the way he was. Insane as it sounded, the redhead had actually hoped for once that he would be stopped. That he would be told that what he was doing was wrong, that shutting himself off from the res of the world wasn't going to work. That he should begin considering talking to someone. Anone, even if not to his family. Someone, anyone. Anybody, really.

Nobody ever did. What could Sasori say, when there was no one to say it to?

Akasunas were well known, actually. Sasori's family had been masters of the art of puppeteering. However, recently, the Akasunas had broken out of the Puppeteering cycle with sword wielding. Sasori and his generation plus one up were trained in Kendo, Fencing, and other forms of sword fighting. Sasori knew this was one of the reasons his parents had left. They believed that Puppeteering was a lost art. In order t kep it aive... this, this was why he believed they'd left him. Many nights he would comfort himself with the fact they had left him to keep what they believed was art alive. They had left him only for their art.

Sasori, himself, would do the same, for Art.

What did Sasori believe was art? He believed his sword was his painbrush. And with each movement, he was painting a picture. With his sword, Sasori was the artist, and the arena was the canvas. With his opponent's failure, he'd paint the stage red.  
To him, this was the highest form of art. He loved it, and he'd never give it up. Even though he knew others had different views on art, and he'd respect that, he still had a stubborn strek in him which refused to acknowledge that other forms of art could beat his. Even if Deidara were to tell him he had a different viewpoint... which would, you know, not be ANY different from Zetsu or Kakuzu telling him they had one.

Oh yeah, right. who was he kidding? At the thought, Sasori chuckled a little. He liked the blonde, especially since their day out at the gallery. His understanding of art, to Sasori, was amazing. In his spare time, Sasori locked himself in his room and tuned out all noises with his iTunes on his laptop, took out his paints and painted. All pieces of Art were sold by a friend who operated a small gallery. His pieces were hot favourites.

But even then, it pained Sasori to sell his pieces. He wanted to keep them, to monopolise them and stare at them all day long. He felt a pang of sadness everytime a particularly beautiful piece was sold, even though it did show people appreciated his art.  
Then one day one of his best pieces, titled, "Symphonies of History, Books Of Music" turned up in his own home, over the table in the living room. He chuckled softly while walking past it, amazing many people, who had not heard him laugh or even crack a smile for the longest time.

Truthfully speaking, Sasori decided his parents were of less importance than his grandmother, who had brought him up from a young age. She was stern and firm, but Sasori believed everyone should be brought up in this way. Many parents preferred to pamper their children, which ultimately turned them into... pussies. And pussies was the last word anyone would ever associate with Akasuna Sasori. His upbringing had taught him formality, status quo, and a quiet politeness wherever he went. He was taught discipline and hard work was required to best everyone else.

His own grandmother drilled him to the bone, with practice schedules scheduling in more than 3 hours of practise in the day, and 2 at night. This excluded his studies which took up about 8 or 9 hours everyday. Ultimnately, between practice, sleep, eating and schooling, Sasori had never had much time to paint. This was the one aspect he dislikes about his strict grandmother's instructions. The kindest moment he had remembered with her was of his having a scratch on his leg, and she had pasted a simple plaster over the wound for him, then offering her hand for him to stand up again. He had been 7 at the time.

One day, he passed by a store with a keyboard in the front of the shop. He looked at it for a minute before moving on.  
The next day, he stopped for 2 minutes.  
3. 8. 14.  
Finally, as he stopped outside the window for near 30 minutes one day, a salesgirl invited him inside, smiling warmly. Sasori didn't understand how to return this gesture, and simply followed her in silently. She smiled and nodded over at the keyboard. Sasori looked at it as well. For a second, no one said anything, and she finally muttered, "Give it a shot."  
Sasori shook his head. "I don't know how."

She blinked. "But you've been staring at the thing for 30 minutes!!" Sasori looked away and muttered, "26." she laughed and shook her head. "Whatever. how would you like to learn?" she asked, and Sasori cocked his head, considering this. He knew he didn't actually have the time... he had training, and his studies took up more time now that he was in the third year.  
But seriously, the prospect of learning how to play that thing was so alluring. Sasori had fallen in love with the keys.  
You see, Sasori's school had a beautiful piano. During music class, people would have a go on it. And one day, as he watched a boy seriously playing Clair De Lune, he realised that the song that it played was astoundingly beautiful. And he loved the piano.  
"Well. Yeah, i guess. Sure."

As Sasori relieved all these memories, he unconsciously watched the blonde, smiling a discreet smile. If Deidara didn't have a family, he wondered how his grandmother would react to the blonde's hyperactivity.  
'For god's sake, Deidara. Shut up and get out.' Would be the best bet. He laughed. Deidara wondered why.

* * *

Deidara was running. He didn't know where, but he knew why, and he was running. For a good cause.  
His dad was going to kill him.

"FUCKING HELL, DEIDARA!! FUCKING GET YOUR SORRY ASS BACK HERE!!!"  
No way. Deidara wasn't going back there. Suicide beckoned, for the 1000th time.

When Deidara's mother had died when he was 3, his father had turned on him. Said blonde spent much more of his time on the streets than at home, sneaking out in many different ways. he's once done a rapunzel, ripping his blanket up and using it to climb down from his room on the 3rd floor. he'd laughed about that one. He wasn't laughing when his ass got kicked the next morning, though. It hurt.

Deidara one day found an old guitar up in the attic of their house one day. When he'd questioned his father about it, he'd risked a beating, but a second before his dad's fist impacted his face, he stopped. And said, "Deidara, get out of the house now."  
Oh, no arguments there. a second after he grabbed the polished guitar, he ran out the house, careful not to hit it against anything. he ran round the corner, and stopped to catch his breath. he observed the polished wood and the gold imprinted words on it, "Hope Is The Doorway to Opportunity, The Pillar of Success"  
Deidara looked at the brand, on the back of the guitar. Symphonies of Soul. Even he knew the name.

Deidara knew a little about his mother. She was pretty, she was kind and nice, like a normal mother (from what he knew when others talked about her, even his dad when he was drunk) He knew she disliked mondays, that she was the one who had named him Deidara.  
He knew she played the guitar. "This must be hahaue's." He thought softly, his fingers trailing over the guitar. He ran a finger over the strings, and...

He immediately fell in love with the sound.

From that day onward, Deidara looked forward to whatever few hours of freedom he could snatch outside, taking the guitar with him, usually to deserted places, comfortable hiding places, sometimes even in the park. He picked at the strings, listening to songs and committing them to memory, and singing them softly in his hiding places, playing the guitar as well as he could. lowly, he perfected the art of self learning.

Deidara never knew how talented he was till he had mastered self learning. By memorizing cords without knowing he had, by playing as many songs as he could hear, he had perfected his finger movement. As he played like a classical Syn Gates from Avenged Sevenfold, people began to take notice of him. Deidara didn't like this.

People approached him for many reasons after this.  
Girls gave him love letters. he tore them up in private.  
Band members asked him to join their bands. he declined.  
Principal of Seiso Academy of music offered him a scholarship. he refused.  
Americans wanted to throw money at him. He threw it back.  
People asked him to teach them. he told them he knew nothing. they didn't believe him. he didn't care.  
Boys sent him love letters. He burned them openly. he had zero tolerance for gays at the time.

One summer day, he returned for the first time in a long break to his corner. He had feared his father would hear of him playing the guitar round the corner, and had not emerged playing his mother's guitar for over 3 months. He played only in the attic, for the sound was muffled and soft, while his father would sleep. He loved the sounds his guitar produced.  
He loved it, playing his music in the open. not for the recognition, but that feeling of being free. It was all very much liberating.

"Excuse me." Deidara looked up. "Yeah, un."  
A boy with raven black hair in a crimson hairtie spoke to him. He had on a Seiso music academy blazer and was carrying a case, Deidara assumed it was a violin. He was what people called a "pretty boy", Deidara guessed. But somewhere along the line, he knew he'd get along pretty ok with him. "Hi. I heard you a couple of months ago here, on this spot. And i enjoyed it very much. Will you play again?" he asked. Deidara looked up at him. He didn't seem to be an asshole, he was pretty sincere. This guy was the real deal. He nodded.

"That's great. You haven't played for a long time, many people in my school know about you here on the sidewalk." he said, smiling. Deidara looked away, a little embarassed about this. "Well, Seiso's kids have got to be better than i am, un. Pro tutors and all that crap, un." he replied, and itachi shook his head, smiling up at the sky as he sat next to Deidara. The blonde didn't mind.

"What's your name, un?"  
"Itachi."  
"Your full name, un?"  
"Hmm... Uchiha Itachi."  
"Heard it before somewhere... can't place it, un. Sorry."  
"That's alright."  
"I'm Iwaa Deidara, un. Like, eye-waah."  
"Haha, ok. That's cool."  
"How old are you, un?"  
"I'm 15. What about you?"  
"Same. You're from Seido academy, un? It's pretty nearby, huh, un."  
"Yes, it is."  
a silence ensued for a moment.  
"May i ask a question?"  
"Sure, un. Shoot."  
"Why do you repeat the word 'un' after every sentence?"  
"Haha. Good question, un. My mother used to do it, un."  
"... She's not here any longer?"  
"Heh. Nope, un. Left when i was 3, un."  
"Sorry."  
"No problem, un. Hey, do you listen to Avenged Sevenfold, un??!"  
"Yeah, their music has meaning."  
"Which song, un?!"  
"Hmm... Seize the Day... Unholy Confessions and Critical Acclaim... Quite a few."  
"Afterlife's guitar solo is WICKED, un. I think it's awesome, un."  
"Really? Do you play the electric as well?"  
"Nope, un. But i do play the classical and acoustic, but i could pick it up, un. Thing is, i don't have an E guitar, un."  
"Really..."  
"Syn Gates' playing the the sex, un. Bet' his fingers are made of jelly, un."  
"Haha! Maybe. The videos certainly seem like it."  
"Yeah!! Their live performances show all the time in HMV and crap, un. It's awesome, un."  
"I know... you should listen to..."  
Before they knew it, it was night time.

And so, it was the first day of Deidara's life into Akaku.

"Iwaa Deidara, will you join my band?"  
"... Sure, un."

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Please Review.

OMG KILL MEH.


	21. Chapter 21

OMG I HATE SCHOOL I HATE IT SO BAD AND I HATE EXAMS THEY SUCK ASS ONE DAY WHEN I RULE THE WORLD I'M GONNA BAN EXAMS I WONDER WHY THE HELL I'M TALKING IN CAPS RIGHT NOW BUT I GUESS I'M JUST SO GLAD I'M ALIVE AND BACK AT FAN FIC DOT NET EVEN THOUGHT I'M SUPPOSEDLY "WORRIED" FOR MY EXAMS BUT WHO THE HELL CARES WHEN THERE ARE INCOMPLETE STORIES TO BE WRITTEN RIGHT SO ANYWAYS, HERE GOES.  
(eh. sorry for the super late update.)

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We'll start with a song.  
The stage lights are glaring, but they're used to it. They step up and take the stage, completely certain of their ability to rule the audience tonight. They check their equipment, and shoot each other final signs of assurance. 'We'll do our best', and 'let's bring the house down'.  
The audience is anticipating the band's performance, waiting to be impressed.

The bands sole purpose of performing tonight is to ensure that they won't be disappointed.  
The true essence of performing is to make absolute certainty that your crowd wishes to return for more. That they hunger for your music. That they never want the concert to end. That they love your style and that they enjoyed the night.  
The true essence of music is also passion.

The stage lights dim against the murky smoke and our players are set in motion. A little dubious of the quality of these people, the spectators clap half heartedly, unsure if they're blessing this band a little more than they deserve. The drummer raises his sticks, the guitarists hold their pcks at the ready and the keyboardist is ready to roll. The vocalists take the mike and whispers. The audience need not strain to hear him. The speakers around them amplify his hushed words.

"We're the Reds. Shut up and listen to our music."  
The audience return home satisfied.

* * *

Hidan awoke to the soft tinkling sound of music. He looked to his left, and jumped. "HOLY FUC...!!!!"

Kakuzu scratched the back of his head and sighed. "God damn it, you're noisy. It's only 3am. So shut up and sit down, will you." He droned, and Hidan looked around him. This familiar setting, the hotel lobby? But... why? He looked at Kakuzu and then at his watch, set for the local time. Kakuzu was right, it WAS only 3 am. He scrowled. "Why are we here?" he asked lowly, and Kakuzu shrugged. "What do you mean? You were the one who fell asleep, douche." he said, and Hidan growled. Kakuzu smiled.

"Let's go up to our room." he said, dusting himself off and holding Hidan's hand.  
Hidan glanced at this and his face took on a reddish hue. His eyes widened slghtly, but he didn't say anything as they walked past the nearly sleepng receptionaist and entered the lift. He leaned against the railing of the lift and looked in the other direction from Kakuzu. Kakuzu smirked. The lift hit 40 and they got out, heading for their room. Kakuzu still held onto Hidan's hand, and the albino was so nervous that he felt every sound being amplified.

The sound of their shoes softly padding across the floor, Hidan's converse and his Armani loafers...  
The sound of a flickered light, blinking cheekily in the long corridor far off...  
The sound of arguing behind one of the shut doors, followed by the slamming of a divider door...  
The sound of the key card being inserted into the sensor, and the sound of Kakuzu opening the door...  
Most of all, the sound of his bloody (HAHA) heart beating.

The door shut.  
"Spit it. Why was I asleep downstairs?" Hidan siad rudely, glaring at Kakuzu, who sank down on the edge of the bed, not removing his mask and he glanced Hidan's way. After a long silence, Kakuzu picked up the phone and said in a calm but most random manner, "I'm ordering mushu. Want some?"  
Hidan wasn't having it. 'No bloody way. I gotta know why I was asleep downstairs, first.' he decided, shaking his head. Firmly.

...  
Later on, the both of them sat across each other, eating. Hidan sighed. They both seemed quite alert and awake. He looked at the other. "Tell me why the hell i was asleep in the lobby." he said, and Kakuzu made a sound behind his mask. Hidan guessed he was laughing, and this only served to make him even more pissed.  
"Ok, i'll tell you. You got drunk after tellng me your life story." he said, and Hidan's eyes widened. His fists shook and he banged his palms face down on the table. "I DID WHA..." a hand clapped over his mouth urgently. Kakuzu forwned once more. "Shut up." he ordered. "It's 3:30A-fxcking-M."

Hidan pulled his hand away and took the collar of his shirt. "You mean to tell me," he growled, "That you sat at a bar, listening to me tell you my shitty past, and you LAUGHED about it?!" he said, and Kakuzu thought about it. "Well, I did also buy you another drink, but I don't suppose you'd care about that right now." he said, not altogether seriously. Hidan looked at him.  
A long and deafening silence ensued, and finally, Hidan tore his hand away from the taller person of them, and walked away. He grabbed a change of clothes and entered the bathroom silently.

Kakuzu felt an overwhelming sense of unease. He had done somethng terribly wrong.

* * *

'What a jerk.' Hidan thought ferociously, as he tore his clothes off. He filled the tub and looked in the mirror, which was quickly turning steamy. He flicked his fingers at the stray strands of his hair, which had fallen over his eyes. He must have been out for a long time, the gel he usually used wouldn't come undone in a short perios of time. He wondered how he'd gotten back to the hotel. Kakuzu probably called a cab. Lazy bastard. then Hidan blnked.

'No, the bar that was around the area isn't even far away.' He reasoned. Kakuzu probably carried him back. His face flushed. "Gross." he said firmly. And yet he couldn't face it in his mind. Had Kakuzu carried him in his arms, or put him on his back? Maybe he'd carried him upside down or something, insensitive asshole that he was.  
'But he let me sleep.' Hidan's better side reminded. 'He could've woken me up, watched me throw up and make me walk, but he let me sleep.' What's more, Kakuzu had actually brought Hidan back to the lobby and he had slept against his shoulder.

Hidan shook his head, more hair falling over his face. 'Who cares!!' he thought, angrily. Kakuzu didn't really care. He's laughed about Hidan's past. Laughed. He's just another jerk.  
And yet... Hidan couldn't accept that, either.

Stepping into the hot water, Hidan let out a short hiss and then immersed himself into the tub. His gel came off quickly, and his white hair was left floating around him. He lowered himself till it was just his eyes above the water. 'Why am I so angry, though.' he wondered. It wasn't like other people had not laughed before. In fact, loads of them even questioned whether Hidan's story was true. So why was he especially angry when it came ot Kakuzu.

'It's his god damned assholic look of his!!' his mind screamed, and Hidan growled. 'He always looks down on me!!'  
'And yet he carried you... brought you back, and let you sleep.'  
Hidan shut his eyes. 'Tilting at windmills, those things don't even matter!!'  
'Oh you say that, but you know you don't feel that way.'

Hidan sat up indignantly. "WHAT THE FUC..."  
"Hidan?"  
Hidan looked at the door. Eh. Crap. "Y, yeah. What." he stated, feeling like an idiot. Kakuzu sighed loudly on the other side. "You ok?" he said lamely. Hidan blinked. "Yeah, i'm fine. What do you want?" He waited a couple of moments and reaches for the tap, shutting it off so that he can hear Kakuzu better.  
"Nothing. It's just that it's not normal to swear when you take a shower." he replied from behind the door, and Hidan rolled his eyes.  
"Leave me alone." he said, hoping that Kakuzu wouldn't hear that light shake when he said "alone". There was no noise from the other side, but Hidan could tell Kakuzu had gone back to whatever he had been doing before.

He decided against gelling his har. It was 4 bloody am, for god's sakes. immediately after his hair dried, Hidan decided he was gonna hit the sack. Washing up and completing his... er... cleaning process and bath?... he got up and changed into the set of clothes he'd brought in, just a black pair of tracks and a white cotton shirt. He liked comfy bed-wear for sleep. As he exited the bathroom, he was well aware that he had his hair down in front of his face, kind of Zero Kiriyu like, but he didn't really care. He made for the bed and then stopped.

Kakuzu sat on the bed in casual clothes, reading a book. When he heard the door bang against the doorway metal thingy, Kakuzu stopped reading and looked up abruptly, too. Then he saw Hidan and he blinked. For a while, no one said anything.  
Hidan, who was angry at Kakuzu, but wasn't at the same time, felt extremely contradictory. But he didn't say anything.  
Kakuzu was simply confused, so he didn't trust himself to say anything, either.

Finally, Hidan sat on the edge of his bed and collapsed backward. -POOF- "These pillows are bloody poofy." he muttered, and Kauzu smothered a laugh.  
Hidan looked at him, his hair falling over his eyes again. Then he did something he was pretty practiced in, especially when he was young. He pouted.  
Kakuzu stared.

Hidan was smarter than many people thought. (In this way, he was a little like Tobi.) He figured out that humans were easily manipulated since he was young, and this helped him LOADS, especially growing up in the orphanage, and spending most of his time out on the streets with his fellow orphans. People would succumb to his will, and all it took was this one simple gesture. Hidan would laugh, and get free cookies all the time. He rarely pouted now, but when he did, it was a rare sign of childishness and immaturity.  
That aside, it looked bloody adorable.

Kakuzu turned away. "Er. Right." he said, and he coughed. Alerted by this, Hidan looked at him. Then when he realised that Kakuzu had seen him pout absently, he flushed full on.  
"I... I'M GOING TO BED!!" he said hurried , and he pulled the covers over himself, turning away from Kakuzu and flicking the light switch for his lamp, allowing Kakuzu's to remain on so that he could continue reading if he wanted.

A long time after Hidan retired, Kakuzu shut his book with a snap and left it on the coffee table. He walked next to Hidan, whose head and hands peeked out from beneath the covers and smiled. He shifted Hidan's bangs out of the way and looked at his peaceful sleepng form.  
"Run while you can. The longer the chase, the better it feels when I finally have you." He muttered in the night.

He switched off the lights and got under the covers. No one would know, but Kakuzu was smiling.

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Please Review.

OMG IT'S UPDATED =v= NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD GET ARPDAYTERD (retard lingo: updated ROFL)!!! Please REVIEW!!


	22. Chapter 22

Another concert!! This one is for Zetsu and Tobi. Please continue reading and reviewing!! I write more with reviews that give me cool ideas. Thanks! ^^  
Song is animal i Have Become By Three Days Grace, NOT MINE!!

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[TIME SKIP of a week]

"This one is even bigger!!" Tobi yelled excitedly. Itachi smiled and nodded.

Their second concert, fueled by the publicity generated from their first one, had an even larger audience than before. This was the last time they'd be performing where they were, then they'd be moving on to the second location. Deidara peeked out between the curtains.  
"This audience looks more demanding, though." he said, and Hidan looked out as well. He frowned. Kakuzu put a hand on his shoulder and looked out.

"We can handle it." he said in a confident manner, and Hidan went to get some water, Kakuzu following. Zetsu tapped Tobi on the shoulder. "Hey, Tobi." he said. Tobi looked up at him.  
"Hmm?" he replied, smiling widely. Zetsu blinked and flushed lightly. "Um. Nothing. Uh, I put an extra set of drumsticks in the 3rd compartment and I need them for the 3rd song, so try to put them back in the same place f you used them, ok?" Tobi nodded, grinning. Itachi smiled.

Today they had a dressing code. All of them in formal wear, they looked older and more professional. This idea was, of course, given by Kakuzu and Zetsu. They all had on the same classic tuxedo jacket and pants, but their shirts and ties varied, and obviously their hairstyle.  
Itachi had his usual low ponytail, this time in a blood crimson hairtie to match his tie. This shirt was white with gothic tiny frills.  
Hidan had a silver tie with black pinstripes, and a matching shirt. He had his hair gelled back as usual.  
Deidara had his hair up in his own style, and a shocking yellow tie with a white shirt with buttons.  
Tobi, of course, went with his favourite shade of orange, a pumpkin orange tie with a light orange shirt. His hair was messy and untidy.

Kisame's hair was up n a black thick headband, with a tie in a dark blue hue. His shirt took on a similar colour, but shades lighter.  
Kakuzu had on a smart silky brown tie, with a formal white work shirt. His face mask was black in color this time.  
Sasori's hair was naturally wavy, and his shirt was a light red, and his tie was dark red, though not as crimson as Itachi's.  
Zetsu had on an army green tie with a light green work shirt like Kakuzu's, his hair untamed as well.

Of course, they looked superb. Konan wore a female business suit with a short black skirt in her blue colour code, and she was looking smart in her black tinted specs. Pein had on a silver tie with a white shirt, and the same fedora as the one he had on the train. He instructed all of them to put on their black tinted specs as they went on stage for a purpose, the stage lights were too bright, and they might not be able to play well if they had a head ache. Plus, if they all made it a part of their dressing code, it would not be conspicuous to the audience. Simple.

'Today... Sasuke kun seems to be somewhere in the audience...' Tobi remembered, as he looked out through the curtains with an unfocused look. Madara had given him air tickets to view Itachi's concert overseas, and Tobi had sent him the tickets ahead of time, with backstage all access passes. All this was done without informing anyone else, and he had bought the tckets as an ordinary viewer of the concert, and stole the backstage passes from Konan's bag. Tobi didn't seem to be a very good boy after all. Heh.

'Should i tell Itachi kun...' Tobi pondered, and he looked at his drum set from afar, absently thumbing his lips. 'But that will affect his performance. He'll be looking out for his brother.' he sighed. Drinking from a paper cone cup given to him, he muttered a soft thanks and continued with his thoughts. 'But... I will tell him later. After Akaku's last song, and before the end of the concert while Tsukisa is ending off.' Tobi looked out to the audience, texting, talking, discussing the band's liable performance. 'For now,' he decided with a grin, 'Let's just go with the flow.'

3rd level, 2 from the first row, 6 seats. Tobi smiled. Found him.  
Uchiha Sasuke had indeed brought several strange friends. Tobi shut his eyes and leaned against the narrow wall, waiting for sound systems to be a go. Never mind that, it's not as important. He'd meet them later. Crossing his arms, he allowed his reddish hued eyes to travel up to the stage lights and instantly regretted it. 5 minutes later, when Itachi bumped into Tobi, he asked why Tobi was wearing his specs already, but the other was still too dazed to answer.

"Calling, Akaku!" One of the stressed stage crew people called out. "We're ready for you."

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke had indeed caught wind of his brother's venture into the music industry. He'd found out by chance of his ventures from a friend simply days after he had left the main house, and had finally obtained a chance to view a concert. One of the first few, and he wasn't expecting much. It was probably a small scale production.  
But what was this about Tsukisa, one of the larger names in corporate music, making a tour with his brothers noobish and unknown band? This was interesting. Somehow, they must have seen something in Itachi's band that he'd missed.

He intended to find it tonight.

And when he'd brought his band along, he wanted them to look harder. So find out what it was that he'd missed. Of course, he hadn't told them that. He told them to look for both band's X-factor, something that drew the crowd like bees to honey. He had brought everyone. Hyuuga Neji, Sabakuno Gaara, Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru and Aburame Shino for this concert. And by god's, he prayed that they'd gain something from it.

"We've been waiting a while, haven't we." Neji frowned. Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah!! When are they gonna start?!?"  
Shikamaru, next to them, waved his hand. "Geez... shut it. Oi, Sasuke, why'd you ask me to come if we aren't even going to do a thing." Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat quietly, waiting.  
"Just take the lead from him and keep quiet." Shino said, pointing his thumb at Sasuke. Gaara didn't even bother to say anything.

Abruptly, a sound boomed over the system, and the audience fell silent. It was accompanied by a soft organ, and Sasuke frowned as a familiar voice greeted them all.  
"Welcome to our shared concert for the night." Itachi said in perfect English. 'Where heck is he!?' Sasuke wondered, looking around the whole place but not seeing a trace of his older brother. This was rather annoying. Aside from Gaara, he could see his band looking around to find the source of the voice.

"We're from Japan, our name is Akaku, but over here, we're the Reds. We hope you enjoy our music for the night. This song is Animal I Have Become." Sasuke could hear that smirk on his brother's face, rather than see it, physically impossible as it may seem. "But this time it's a little different."  
'Different...' Sasuke frowned. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Neji was smirking. "Different, huh. Let's fine out what's so 'different' about this." he commented, and Sasuke nodded, returning the smirk steadily. He looked to the stage.

Sasuke's eyes opened wide.  
Cages?!

From inside heavy looking metal cages, the Akaku band members were held up precariously by metal chains alone, the instrument wires hanging down, knotted at the back of the cage bars. Itachi held his guitar at the ready. He looked to the other members. Monotonously, he checked one last time. "Bass, setting 3. Sound, 70%." he dragged his pick down and the low bass was heard across the hall. Hidan nodded, smirking and grinning widely as he reported back.

"Keyboards, Setting: Stereophonic keys, normal, sound 67% and rising." he said, and Deidara nodded. "Electric, setting 2, Volume 70%. Ready." he sound checked. Finally, they looked back to Tobi, whose Cage was hung highest of all. It was also secured by more chains, as the drum set was large and required more space, and his cage was the biggest. Using the small suspended mike over the drums, he said, "Well... let's do this." he tapped the drumsticks together as customary beginning, and Itachi began to play the bass beats accompanied by Tobi's beating.

"I don't know if you know this song..." he said in the microphone, "But if you do... sing along." Deidara nodded along to the beats of Tobi's drumming.

Itachi:  
_I can't escape this hell _  
[Itachi carefully picked the strings to the bass beats, looking out to the audience with glazed eyes.]  
_So many times i've tried _  
[His eyes sent out a desperate appeal for help, somehow managing to tell everyone he was trapped and he felt it. He felt it.]  
_But i'm still caged inside _  
[With a pause in his chords, he lifted a hand and grabbed one of the cold metal bars, props that they'd set up for the concert.]_  
Somebody get me through this nightmare _  
[He returned to his playing, shutting his eyes tightly like he was tossing restlessly in his sleep.]_  
I can't control myself _  
[He yelled into the microphone, letting go of the guitar and holding the mike tightly before handing the lights over to Hidan.]_  
_

Itachi looked over the audience, who seemed to be appreaciating the music quite well. At the side of the stage, he could see the Tsukisa members standing as they watched. Kisame saw him looking at them, and shot him a thumbs up and a smile. Kakuzu nodded at him, from next to Kisame. itachi turned his focus back to the audience. 'We will own the stage tonight.' he believed strongly, and he sang from the bottom of his heart.  
These lyrics... these lyrics that he sang, how they delberated on his true personality.  
Leaving the family... even his brother whom he'd promised to protect against the family's sick regimes...  
He chuckled inside. Truely, he'd become something he'd thought he'd never become. This helped him deliver the song with feeling and truthfulness.  
Itachi looked over at Hidan, who nodded as he delivered the chorus.

Hidan and (Deidara):  
_So what if you can see the darkest side of me? _  
[Hidan played his 3rd bar with one hand with little difficulty, glaring at the crowd as he gestured to himself.]_  
No one will ever change this animal I have become _  
[Carefully directing his gaze to only the keyboards, he shook his head as though he'd given up on his own being.]_  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
_[He looked out to the audience as though appealing for someone to understand him, even if just a little...]_  
Somebody help me tame this animal  
_ [He played increasingly hard, and as his part ended, he shook the bars of the cage as roughly as he dared.]_  
(This animal, this animal)_

He smirked.  
Hidan smirked as he sang the song, making it seem as though he was a sadistic and masochistic person...  
Well. He kind of was. Hidan was smiling grimly inwardly.  
In actualy fact, he knew it was wrong all along, but he kept it private. He didn't share it with anyone.  
Hidan was always careful when he practised these 'activities'. He made sure no one found any sharp stuff around him, no suspicion he would hurt himself at all. He dislikes shirts, so Hidan made sure he cut in places which would be covered by short sleeves and sleeveless shirts like jerseys.  
He'd hurt himself badly before. It was hidden. He had suffered lacerations on his back, and he still had a couple of scars.  
And he liked it. He liked every single time a cold pcece of metal met his skn, or a seasoned strip of leather bound his veins.  
'Animal I have become...' he thought. What a suitable song for himself. He grinned as Dedara stepped up to the mike, and he did the echoing for him, Deidara had helped him before.

Deidara and (Hidan):  
_I can't escape myself _  
[Deidara shut his eyes, as if trying to block out any other presence where he was.]_  
(I can't escape myself)  
So many times i've lied_  
[As he said this, he looked down to the floor as though guilty, then at the audience with his tired eyes.]  
_(So many times i've lied)  
But there's still rage inside  
_[He tilted his head upward to the ceiling, then looked around him as though furious he was held captive and had no way out.]_  
Somebody get me through this nightmare _  
[Sweeping his hand out to the audience after he threw his pick down past his strings on a loud note, he frowned.]_  
I can't control myself _  
[He took a second and combed his fringe back as though he was in alot of frustration.]_  
_

Deidara had his own secrets.  
Recently, he'd gotten info that his dad was in the same place he was. US.  
This information would make any kid happy and excited, but Deidara: No. Deidara dislikes his dad a lot. A whole lot.  
You see, Deidara's mother had died when Deidara was only 3.  
His father, an alcoholic and a gambler, never had money for Deidara's education, sometimes not even for his meals.  
He'd hid many things from Deidara about his mother, refusing to tell him much about his mother. Not even why she'd died.  
Not wanting to believe otherwise, he'd told everyone that she'd died in a car accident, brainwashing himself even, into believing so.  
But there were times when he'd reflect and remember that he was a liar, and he would cry softly.

Itachi:_  
So what if you can see the darkest side of me?  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal_

Hidan and (Deidara):  
_Somebody help me through this nightmare _  
[Tobi tossed his stick up and twirled his other one, bringing both down suddenly and forcefully to hit loudly.]_  
I can't control myself  
_ [The cameras zoomed in on Tobi as he beat the drums mouthing the same words being sung, with his eyes shut and frowning.]_  
Somebody wake me from this nightmare _  
[He opened his eyes, playng furiously as he tapped the cymbals rapidly.]_  
I can't escape this hell _  
[Slowly, he began to slow down for the echoing that Hidan delivered. He followed in time, head banging softly.]_  
(This animal, this animal, this animal, this  
animal, this animal, this animal, this animal)_

Tobi had a long story, (one that's been mostly revealed to you).  
He'd discovered his gift for drumming through Itachi, and he'd capitalized on it quickly.  
In effect, he decided in his heart that Itachi was someone to be admired for being the first out of the generations thus far to forcibly and intentionally break the bonds between he himself anf the Uchiha family branch. Finding courage in this, Tob had done the same and left on the same night as Itachi with nothing more that 2 pairs of prized drumsticks and his cash, plus a case of clothes. He hadn't known Itachi already found a band, and they were waiting in the shadows to emerge and make some real music.  
An orphan, two runaways and a basker. Tobi found comfort in an orphan, two runaways and a basker.  
He was lying to all of them, including the one person who he claimed to be loyal in friendship to, Itachi.  
Tobi was happy. But he was also unhappy.

Itachi and (Deidara):_  
So what if you can see the darkest side of me?  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal  
(This animal I have become...)_

Finishing the song, Akaku members looked out to the audience, breathless and fearful of the response.  
For a whole domned minute, the stadium was quiet as hell. You could hear a pin drop. Itachi started to frown. hidan didn't even look up from the keys his fingers had left a moment ago, Deidara's fingers were so loose he was almost going to drop his pick, and Tobi twirled drumsticks to appear nonchalant of the response rate. He fooled no one.  
Konan's hands were poised in a prayer.

The crowd roared to an alarming extent. The band exhaled.  
Itachi started laughing. Hidan and Deidara joined in, Tobi wiping his forhead with the back of his hand. Deidara swept his fringe out of the way as Hidan smoothed his hair back.

Sasuke turned to his band.  
Naruto stood with his mouth open. The rest were trying to hide their impressed attitudes, and Gaara spoke for the first time that evening.  
"I think we found our X factor."

* * *

Please Review.

No time for AN, BUT PLEASE REVIEW AND OFFER IDEAS AND COMMENTS!!! Thanks =v=


	23. Chapter 23

Alright!! I'm updating quicker, cause I'm scared of losing my fans. But please do leave reviews on the previous chapters too, because i'd like to know what you think of the content in that chapter, and if it's good then i can capitalize on what i did right XD Thanks =v=

Another song, hey hey!! GODSPEED BY ANBERLIN!! Look it up on Youtube or something. It's truly pwnsome.

* * *

Tsukisa members were onstage, and Akaku members had jumped downed from the cages a long time ago, which were left suspending in the air for a lasting impression. They weren't high enough to be of danger in the first place. The last song of the day was Tsukisa's for the night.  
"Good... good job." Kisame said to Itachi, and the Uchiha nodded. "Thank you." he said softly, and he watched Kisame walk past him. Their hands brushed and Itachi ignored that small electric feeling, walking ahead inside. As Kisame walked out onstage, he had a smile that grew wide, turning to a smirk.

"How's everyone doing?" he asked softly, and the crowd yelled out shouts of approval. "I don't think that's loud enough." Kakuzu said obnoxiously into his mike. Sasori chuckled. He checked the equipment for any defect as Kisame entertained the crowd. Zetsu sat patiently, picking up a new set of Black sticks. He leaned against his set, twirling one of them expertly. Kakuzu checked his settings carefully, and helped Kisame check his sound.

The crowd yelled even louder, and Kisame grinned.  
"Well, this is our last song for the night..." he said, faking a pout. Itachi smiled back stage, sipping at his water. The crowd booed.  
"But the good news is you can catch our world tour on video at the end of it, about a couple of weeks after the final gig, the full DVD will be released into stores!!"  
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Kisame looked at his team mates with a grin.

A thumbs up from Kakuzu. "Bass. 85% Volume, setting 3 at the ready.  
"Keys, 70% Volume and rising, self setting custom sounds." Sasori flipped his hair out of the way.  
Kisame blinked. "I'm ready is all i know. Kakuzu set my instrument for me." the crowd laughed.  
Zetsu nodded as they looked at him, his sticks at the ready.

"Alright everyone. This one's called Godspeed."

Kisame and (Sasori):  
_Burning down Neverland (scatter the ashes!) _  
[Kisame grinned widely at the cameras which captured his face on one screen, and Sasori's on the other. Sasori threw his hand out as though scattering a handful of blask ash.]  
_White lines black tar the matches _  
[He smiled peacefully as he played the amazing Guitar chords, jamming on his E guitar insanely. Kakuzu picked at the bass quickly, his eyes betraying a bemused feeling.]  
_Is this another death by misadventure _  
[He glared at the crowd and then suddenly smirked dangerously at "misadventure", raising his pick. He paused his playing and emphasized heavly on the next line.]  
_Tell me what you got what you really got (Hey hey!) _  
[He pointed at the crowd and threw out his pick, not even bothering to see where it went as he got out another one. Sasori punched his fist in the air twice as he shouted, "Hey, hey!"]  
_We'll rest in our graves_  
[Kisame shut his eyes as though in a deep, dead slumber, and resumed his playing, turning up the volume gradually as the verse progressed.]  
_Lexington course your veins_  
[He totally let go of his guitar for a split second, and spread his arms out in a cross fashion, smirking before he took hold of the guitar again. Zetsu rolled his eyes at the drama.]  
_Sleepers can't just wake the dead_  
[He jabbed a finger at himself, and then in Kakuzu's direction, grinning. The camera zoomed in on Kakuzu rolling his eyes, playing his bass calmly and like the ice cube he was.]  
_When needles and lovers collapse on guilty beds_  
[He nodded toward Sasori.]

Sasori:_  
Fall asleep _[He shut his eyes, his fingers coming down heavily on the keyboards.]_  
Don't fall asleep _[His eyes opened and he leaned forward, shifting slightly to his left and smirking.]_  
Don't fall asleep _[He finally looked straight ahead at the camera and winked. Suddenly ALL music ceased except for his special effect..]  
_(They lied when they said the good died young...)_ [He whispered into the microphone. The audience roared.]

Kakuzu:  
_They lied when they said the good died young _[Kakuzu had an extra sensitive microphone, which picked up every word he sang. He didn't look at the camera at all, focusing on his playing.]  
_They lied when they said the good died young _[He glared at the audience directly, and then slowly raised his right hand as though to gather attention.]  
_Stay with me stay with me tonight _[At his break before the next bar, he extended his hand out to the audience, shutting his eyes and lowering his head slightly inclined as though bowing.]

Sasori and (Kisame):  
_Burning down bridges now (scatter the ashes) _[Sasori raised his hand in a question, smirking, and Kisame threw out his right hand to the side, opening it slowly to scatter "ash".]  
_Godspeed to all you're after _[Sasori lifted up his hands to form a "praying" position, eyes closed with his hair covering them.]  
_Is this a life left just to remember _[He glared at the camera, a palm spread flat on his chest.]  
_Tell them who you are who you really were (hey hey) _[He pointed at the audience as though accusing them, and catching on, they all pumped their fists, singing along.]  
_Kill yourself slowly over time fashion statement suicide _[He played with his face in a sad smile, and then a disappointed look as he sang the second bit.]  
_She's still asleep in a Chelsea hotel _[He looked out the corner of his eyes behind him as though the hotel was located right there behind the stadium.]  
_Bad turns to worse and the worst turns into hell... _[His frown gradually worsened to a scrowl.]

Kisame:_  
Fall asleep _[He looked to Kakuzu, Sasori and Zetsu, and then back at the audience.]_  
Don't fall asleep _[His gaze settled on his guitar, and he flipped it full circle like Zacky Vengeance in Afterlife.]_  
Don't fall asleep _[He let his eyes shut and leant forward. With his guitar being silent for the time being, he cupped his hands into a prayer.]_  
(God save the eyes that dim tonight) _[He knelt down on the floor, lifting his face up to the ceiling and throwing his arms out like he was crying out for help.]

Sasori:  
_They lied when they said the good died young  
They lied when they said the good died young  
Stay with me stay with me tonight..._

Kakuzu:  
_They lied when they said the good died young  
They lied when they said the good died young  
Stay with me stay with me tonight..._

Kisame:  
_They lied when they said the good died young  
They lied when they said the good died young  
Stay with me stay with me tonight..._

_

* * *

_

Zetsu ended off the drums with hitting his 3rd and 1st cymbal sets, and sudddenly the lights went out. Kisame nodded in the dark and grinned. Each of them threw down a smoke bomb and dove side stage. As they entered into the murky abyss of the sidestage, they high fived each other, and Kisame pulled Itachi into a hug, hidden by the darkness.  
He combed a lock of Itachi's dark hair behind his ear and softly whispered, "We did it..."

Itachi flushed. He leaned into Kisame's hold and nuzzled his head into his chest softly. "Um. Yeah, we did..." he said, smiling. Kisame kissed his forehead lightly and smiled down at him. One by one, the lights came on and he calmly let Itachi, who was slill slightly flushed, go, albeit slightly reluctantly. Deidara high fived him.  
"WE DID IT, UN!!" he yelled and Konan smiled in obvious relief. "Yeah, HELL you did!! Thank GOD." she said. Tobi sweat-dropped. "Oh yes, Konan san. You REALLY believe in us." he said, poking her. She giggled.

Sasosi and Kakuzu were discussing missed notes in the songs, and Hidan was getting a donut. Itachi, Kisame and Deidara were laughing about the mistakes they had done during the show. Zetsu and Tobi were getting the rest of them drinks with Konan, and Pein was shuffling documents. (AGAIN.)

Then the door to backstage opened, and the 2 bands braced themselves for rabid fangirls and GOD FORBID, rabid fanboys. But instead...  
"Itachi nee san." a very familiar voice called.  
Sasuke, Neji, Gaara, Naruto, Shino and Shikamaru came through the doors, and shut the door and bolted it in the faces of other girls with backstage passes. Itachi's eyes widened.  
When Tobi returned with Zetsu, his eyes widened. His fingers were numb and he nearly let the drinks slip through his fingers. He hadn't told Itachi. He had made a fatal error.

"Sa... suke..."

* * *

Please Review.

I love love love reviews!! They encourage me, and these three updates are for those special babes who helped me out!! More reviews = More updates!! So help me out here, ok?1 I need your comments too, I already said why up there, in my first AN :)  
Thanks!!


	24. Chapter 24

WOW, Ok, I really suck. Thanks to those who bothered to review. I hope i'm not losing my readers. I have NO idea how to check, because the traffic thingy on my Mozilla is screwed up, I swear. Either way, I hope more will bother to review, if not, like i had said, I can't capitalize on what I'm doing right and change what i'm screwing up. -sighs-

This time... it should be Sasori and Deidara, right? But Sasuke's here. Should I do a special POV? Maybe Sasuke himself, or Gaara. Eh. Maybe I should just do Itachi's, like. Don't worry, ney. If I switch POV, i'll tell you during the chapter. But which should it be?! Mmmm.... Hard to decide. I think it'll just be one of those ALL OVER THE PLACE chapters, lol. Sorry, you're going to have to try and make it out!! Haha.  
Please review, peoples!! And I hope you like this chapter :D

I SUPPORT SASUKE AND NEJI there's a little bit of it in this chapter, sorry for non-fans!! =n=

* * *

"Hey." Sasuke said, shifting on his feet and giving Itachi his signature chin-up arrogant look. Itachi frowned, and Tobi panicked. Zetsu quickly grabbed the drinks from him.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi asked Sasuke, as he eyed his entire group. "Is THAT your band?" he emphasized as he scrutinized them.  
Sasuke glared at him. "What the hell do you think I'm here for, Hair gel? And they're my band. So what about it?" he asked fiercely, and Itachi looked at him emotionlessly. "Nothing. They look quite bored to be here. As a matter of fact, so do you." he retorted calmly, as Shikamaru yawned widely. Sasuke glared at him and the Nara household member simply shrugged and turned away to get a donut like Hidan.

Sasuke and Itachi were alarmingly, blow exchanging-ly close. Tobi stepped in, shooting Sasuke a meaningful but short glance. "This is a surprise, I sent him tickets to our concert because he didn't believe we were good." Tobi said, his face a little serious. Itachi took a step back and looked at Tobi. Sasuke did also. "Is that right." Itachi said, and his gaze slowly swivelled over to Sasuke. He believed Tobi's story, actually. Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. It is, and I was right."

Naruto burst out laughing. "This is coming from the gay who was in awe 5 minutes back in the seats." Sasuke brought his elbow backward and hit Naruto right in the gut, causing the blonde to double over and cough profusely. Neji smirked and Shikamaru teased, "Traitor."  
Gaara looked boredly at his watch. Deidara looked at Sasori. "He looked like you, un." he said, and Sasori looked at Gaara. His eyes widened slightly. Then he cleared his throat. "Yeah, a little, huh. Wonder what he plays." he said quickly, and he turned away. Deidara frowned as he went in front of Sasori, blocking him from walking away and he held onto his tux sleeve.

"What's wrong, un?" he asked. Sasori shook his head. "Nothing. I just want some coffee, I'm tired." he said, smiling a smile that did look a little tired to Deidara. The blonde nodded and let go, as Sasori made his way over to the expresso machine, one of the stage crew telling him that he'd done a great job, female, of course. Deidara rolled his eyes, unsure of why he was feeling slightly irritated as Sasori was only being congratulated, and he certainly deserved it. He'd been good on the keys. Very good.

Back at where most of the group was standing, Shikamaru was speaking to Konan and Pein, asking them about the tour thus far. As manager of the band, he had to at least somehow get something out of the trip, even if he didn't want to come in the first place. Neji looked at him. "Stupid Shikamaru. Just had to get something out of this, sneaky bastard." he chuckled. Then he noticed Gaara.  
"What's up, Mr Sabakuno Gaara." he asked, nudging the other. Gaara growled and jerked away.

"That person." Gaara discreetly jabbed a thumb in the direction of Sasori.  
Neji looked and nodded. "Yeah? What's wrong with him?"  
One last look and the boy's turquoise eyes reverted back to nothing. "Nothing much."  
Neji much suspected not.

Instead, he looked at Sasuke, who was avoiding direct conversation with Itachi as much as possible. Which was, really, qute comical since he was about only a metre away.  
Itachi sighed. Looking at Konan, he muttered, "Let's have dinner." adverting his gaze, he looked at Sasuke. "We have much to talk about."

* * *

A waitress came to wait on all of them. "WOW, this is a big group." she said, grinning widely. Tobi smiled. "We'll have number 11, 87, 91, 64, 38, 78 and 2." he said, pointing. The waitress nodded and took down the numbers attentively, her face determined. Drinks were quickly ordered, and she rechecked. Itachi nodded, and she smiled. "Since you came at this hour..." she checked her watch, "I think you'll be served really quickly!! We're usually pretty busy, but now that there's not many people left, your food will come quickly. Just wait a while, ok?" she winked, and sailed out of the room.

"Ah, I see. What do you intend to do when this tour ends." Shikamaru asked all of them after speaking with Konan, and the band members looked at one another.  
Itachi cleared his throat. "I don't know what you mean." he paused, thinking. "I suppose we'll just continue making our music as usual." Kisame looked at him out the corner of his eye.  
Neji smiled charmingly. "And? Will you continue working together?"

"That is highly unlikely."

All eyes looked at Pein, who had set aside a small pile of papers, his silver tinted lenses set on his nose. He looked over the piece in his hand and looked up to meet everyone's gaze. "It's highly unlikely we will continue working together."  
There was a short tense silence as the band members tried to focus on anything aside from each other. Sasori and Kakuzu drank the tea. Sasuke's band members were a little curious of the silence, but they did not inquire. Instead, Nejji changed the topic to the next venue for the tour, and Kisame answered his question.

Deidara looked at Sasori absently, stirring his tea with a chopstick. 'Shika chan brings up a point, un... we might not see each other after the tour...' he looked at the Tsukisa band members and sighed. Setting on Sasori with his dusky red locks, he paused. 'I can't be with Sasori anymore, un... we can't spend time together anymore...'  
Why did it hurt him to think about it? Why was he shaking his head inwardly, trying his best not to think about it at all?

"We can still see each other after this tour, right. It's not like we have to go out of our way to avoid each other."

Deidara looked up. Sasori, from next to him, had stopped sipping his tea and put it down with his eyes shut, stating this simply and in the most bored tone, as he always did. Under the table, his hand brushed against Deidara's, and the blonde looked straight ahead, but as Sasori's hand was about to reach above the table so that he could fold his hands, Deidara grabbed hold of his hand and held it softly under the table.  
Sasori glanced at him and returned his gaze above the table.

Neji exchanged glances with Shikamaru, and then looked at Gaara.  
'Not good...' he thought. The younger redhead was seething silently, and bottling up his anger always led to an explosion sooner or later. Neji sipped his tea and sighed. "Sasuke." he said, turning next to him. Sasuke blinked and growled. "Hnn." he responded. Neji understood: 'I'm listening, but not for long.'  
"I think our Gaara knows the Tsukisa redhead."  
"And you know this how?"  
"It just seems like it. He spoke to me awkwardly back at the concert venue."  
"So?"  
"So... I don't know. Just telling you."

Sasuke nodded. "Alright. Thank you, love." Neji smiled at him. Itachi looked at them out the corner of his eyes. He'd been watching them quite closely, and quite clearly, they seemed to be. Eh. Close. He looked at Kisame, who was listening intently to kakuzu explain something to Shikamaru. Hidan, for once, was listening as well. He tlted his head to the left. "Sasuke, is he your boyfriend."  
Naruto spat out his tea and choked. Shino grabbed his chair and skidded away in disgust. Shikamaru threw his napkin at Naruto and rolled his eyes. "Dude. That's sick."

Itachi narrowed his eyes as the food came in. Sasuke returned the look and grabbed Neji's hand, bringing it up above the table and raised it in front of Itachi's face. "Yes, he is. So what? It's not like you can do anything about it. I love him."  
Itachi's eyes widened. Sasuke's eyes did too, it took a short while for him to realize what he had said. Naruto had started hacking again, and a waitress wisely put a glass of warm water on the table. Shikamaru muttered softly, "You're so bloody troublesome."

Neji smirked. He didn't say anything, and Sasuke scrowled at him. Itachi looked at Neji. "What's his favourite colour?"  
"Blue."  
"Favourite song?"  
"Angels by Within Temptation."  
"Favourite food."  
"Sushi with warm sake."  
"Favourite time to wake up?"  
Neji chuckled. "... He'd rather NOT wake up."  
"Ok, what about his favourite season."  
"Autumn."  
"Favourite time of the day?"  
"Night."  
"Birthday."  
"July 23rd."  
"Favourite band?"  
"Tsukisa. Avenged Sevenfold. P!ATD. Withing Temptation."  
"Impression of me."  
Neji chuckled. "Older brother and private idol."

Sasuke let go of his hand and Neji smirked. Itachi nodded. "I approve."

* * *

_Gaara surveyed the scene, wiping a small rivulet of blood from the left side of his mouth. As usual, he'd coughed too much, and blood had emerged from his mouth, but he had not been harmed externally one bit. '7 juniors and 6 seniors.' he counted, looking at the colour of their badges. His school mate tapped him on the shoulder._

_"Neh, Gaara kun, you never bother with guys like these. What's up with you today, hmm?" her steel silver hair tossed over her shoulder. He looked at them. It would take another 10 to give him any fun at all in the first place. he brushed her off with the word, "Workout."_

_"Is it that Sasori boy again?" she asked.  
Gaara spun around and growled. "You know nothing about my life. Don't speak of it so casually." he said in a low tone, and she smiled a lopsided idiotic smile at him. "Well, Gaara san, if you'd like, we can train a little later on in my dojo." she said, referring to the Hatake Family dojo. Gaara looked at her and grabbed her hand. He pulled her in and ran a hand through her hair. "Thank you." he said simply, and turned and walked away, leaving her behind._

_Hatake Kisse looked at the back of the redhead and smiled, fingering her raven black hair. 'Even if,' she thought, 'He never understands why I am always by hs side, I will continue to remain so.' She sighed, surveyng the bloody scene and walked out into the sunshine where Gaara stood waiting for her, with a can of coffee in hand. She grinned and warmed her hands.  
Gaara had his hand in his pocket and drank from the can to hydrate himself, crunching it in his hand and tossing it into the bin quickly. He walked away in the direction of the Hatake Main House Dojo, texting his older brother to tell him where he would be. "Hurry up." he called behind him monotonously._

_Kisse nodded and drained the can, walking next to him once again. She put a hand over her eyes and looked at the red hot sun and grinned.  
"Beautiful day, isn't it?"  
Gaara looked at her. He would never understand people. They always said the most redundant things.  
"Yeah."_

The younger redhead looked seemingly emotionlessly at the people around him. Then, at Sasori Akasuna.  
_The famous swordsmen had fought him, once, and a very long time ago. They'd fought because Gaara got cocky, and Sasori was irritated by his 3rd request. "Fine," he'd said then. "I'll fight you, if you don't bother me again when you lose." Gaara accepted, his eyes glinting with the familiar bloodlust._

_He'd been shamefully defeated, without a shred of chance in winning. The Akasuna was just too good. In under 2 minutes, Gaara was down on the floor flat, and Sasori's sword was dangerously close to slicing his nose off. He'd bent down and smiled at Gaara.  
"You lost, Gaara chan. But because you're kind of cute, I'm not gonna kill you. See you around."_

_Gaara had lay on the floor, his head following Sasori's movement out of the dojo. "BASTARD!!" he yelled from the floor. Sasori laughed. "Oh yes. It's an inbred trait of us Akasuna's. Didn't you know, Gaa- chan?" he chuckled, opening the bamboo doors of the dojo. Gaara sat up and faced the unlit side of the dojo.  
"What about another fight."_

_Sasori ticked his finger off. "Ahh, i thought there was a condition to this fight?"  
"Fine," he'd said then. "I'll fight you, if you don't bother me again when you lose."  
Gaara growled as the doors of the dojo slid shut again, enclosing him in darkness. He looked at the abandoned sword of Akasuna Sasori and growled lowly.  
"Dammit..." he put his hand over the red tatoo over his left eye and shut his eyes. Ahh, how he'd forgotten the misery of defeat.  
"DAMMIT!!!"_

Gaara was pissed. there was no way to describe it otherwise. No other words, the Sabakuno WAS indeed, undeniably pissed.  
Deidara looked across the table and sighed. Standing up, he said he was going to the toilet to wash his hands and tie his hair properly, cause he'd tied it differently so it wouldn't get into the food. He left and Gaara noticed Sasori's lingering gaze on the door. He let his head drop to his lap and he smirked privately.

Gaara washed his hands gingerly in the little bowl of lime water provided and stood up. His cell phone was flashing. "I am going to take a call." he said simply, and everyone around the table stared at him for a short silent period of time, before he left the room.

"Why the hell is it so tense here whenever that kid is around?" Kisame said, leaning back in his chair and shutting his eyes, his right arm thrown over his eyes dramatically. Itachi sighed heavily as he looked in the other direction. Hidan sighed contentedly, and grinned. "Awesome seafood, this place." he said. Kakuzu nodded, and Hidan folded his arms. Kakuzu looked at him irritably and grabbed a napkin, brushing it across Hidan's face. "Bloody messy eater... there's still chili on your face, dumbass." he said, and Hidan growled, grabbing the napkin and doing it himself.

Sasori and Kakuzu's eyes met and Sasori smirked. Kakuzu rolled his eyes and looked at his watch.

Neji nudged Sasuke and told him something. Sasuke nodded and flipped out his cellphone, making a call. He walked out of the room only to come back in a couple of minutes. "Check under Gaara's plate?" he asked Neji, who looked confused for a second, but did so. "There's a note." he said, and Shino frowned. "Note?" he questioned.  
Shikamaru paused from drinking to look their way and Naruto looked over his shoulder.

Tobi and Zetsu looked at each other before nudging Konan and Pein out of their conversation. Sasori looked over. "What does it say?" he asked, since Neji handed the note over to Itachi.  
Itachi read the note over. "Fight me, Akasuna." he read, and Sasori took it out of his hands. "What the hell..." he muttered.  
Neji's cellphone buzzed. He grabbed it off the table.

Tobi looked around. "Where's Deidara kun? He's always fast when it comes to his hair and washing your hands shouldn't take so long." he informed them, and Neji frowned at his cell. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened. Sasori looked at the door. "You're right. Where's Deidara?" he asked. Neji showed him the cellphone. "Rght here."

Sure enough, a picture of Deidara sleeping in a cab was on the cellphone. Sasori's eyes widened considerably and he grabbed the cell, viewing the text. Address of a Hatake branch dojo in America nearby, and the words [He's unharmed. I want to fight you again.] Sasori growled. "Pein, pay the bill. I'm leaving first." he said, and they could hear him call a cab in the corridor. Itachi sighed and Hidan tch'ed. Tobi looked at the bill that came immediately. "Holy shit." he said simply.

* * *

Gaara looked at the blonde.  
'Whats so special about him.' he asked himself, twirling a single lock of the boy's hair. Then he looked out the window. 'Doesn't matter.'  
They drew up outside the dojo and he got out after paying, carrying the blonde. Kisse smiled at him. "Welcome to the USA branch." she joked, and he kicked off his shoes, walking silently on the tatami matted walkway. He entered a room and put the blonde down. Kisse put down a glass of water and wated by the doorway as Gaara put him down on the bed.

"It's a good thing I was in this branch when you called." she said, and Gaara nodded. "Yes, I do enjoy the convenience." he said, and she smiled, sliding the door shut and locking it.  
Gaara walked to the dojo and waited. Akasuna Sasori would come. He was sure of it.

* * *

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It was long, so PLEASE review!!!


	25. Chapter 25

TEE HEE!!

* * *

Sasori raced into the dojo, sidestepping all of the guards and junior / amatuer swordsmen. He walked straight into the dojo, then sighed as he remembered the ethnic code of the dojo. 'And I looked so cool comng in here, too.' He retraced his steps and removed his shoes as the door, stared at Gaara's for a second, and raced into the dojo again.

"SABAKUNO GAARA, SHOW YOUR FACE RIGHT NOW!" he yelled. A second later, a flash of red hair emerged. Sasori grabbed said redhead by the collar.  
Gaara hand a hand on his. "Now now. All i wanted was a fight. I will apologize to Deidara san later, because I do feel slightly bad for using him in this manner." he looked at Sasori. "But that doesn't change the fact that I want to fight you."

His eyes glinted. Sasori looked at him. 'This guy's serious.' he frowned. 'Which means that he won't return me Deidara till I fight him.' He released Gaara and nodded as the other bands stumbled in. "Fine, you whelp." he said monotonously.  
"But don't except anything other than an honest fight." he reminded, and Gaara, knowing that he'd agreed to fght, had a malicious look on his face. "Or course." he replied, and he brought Sasori to the room containing all the suitable equipment. They put on guards and the appropriate pieces, and Gaara called out a friend he seemed to know.

"Hi," she said, tossing her steel silver hair over her shoulder. "I'm Hatake Kisse, and I'm going to help you referee the match today." she smiled and ticked off number 1. "First, the normal rules of a Shinwha match apply. You will not hit while your oppoenent's back is turned, and you will not hit when he is down, ect. Number 2," she tcked off another finger, "The max pointing is 10. Whenever a vital organ, namely the heart or lungs are struck, a point will be counted." she nodded. "You know the rest, so are you ready?"

Sasori looked at his sword, fingering the Hatake symbol etched into it. 'Fine quality,' he thought, 'And even if it weren't, I can win.'  
Gaara looked at Sasori and held up a hand. "Before we begin, I have something to ask." he said. Kisse and everyone else looked at him. Sasor in particular, looked at him straight. "What is it?" the Tsukisa member asked. Gaara swept his fringe out of the way and a glimpse of his Ai tattoo could be seen for a second.

"How come you changed so much?" he asked, and Sasori's eyes widened.  
"Ever since that person died, you've grown so distant. You worked so hard to maintain a perfect reputation, for 11 years!!" Gaara looked aside. "And then you just left, threw all of it away. Why?! Why did you change your mind??! Everything you've worked for, your threw it all away for this band." Gaara looked at him scathingly.

"To throw away something others would die to have so casually," he pointed the sword inches from Sasori's face, "You'd NEVER understand how I feel!!"

Sasori sighed as the dead silence resounded throught the room. Then he pushed Gaara's sword aside with the flat of his hand, cutting it in the process, intentionally, it seemed. He licked at the wound slowly, and said, "First of all... That person was my father."  
Gaara glared at him.  
"Second of all, I know how badly you wanted the inheritance, Gaara, but seeing as I was his son, Akasuna Dojo's and schools all came under my name." Sasori looked dead stoned as he contnued. "And i'm sorry you feel that way, but Gaara, picture yourself in my position."

There was a pause. "Akasuna Dojo's were known everywhere. Thousands attended the branches of schools located throughout Asia." he pointed his sword at Gaara now.  
"830 500." he said, and everyone stared. Hidan nudged Kakuzu, but the other did not respond, heariing everything Sasori was about to say before.  
Gaara narrowed his eyes. "What?" he asked.

"The number of people i'm responsible for. The number of lives that answer to me, the number of people I control, and the number of lives i impact." Sasori communicated straight to Gaara. "It's just short of 830 500."  
A still silence ensued, and Sasori, getting into a fight stance, ended off,  
"You carry that amount of responsibility on your back, and we'll see just how long you can bear it, without changing."

* * *

Deidara blinked.  
It was an unfamiliar setting, he realised, and this presented him with an omnimous feeling. he looked around and saw a glass of water with a note under it.

[Once you are awake, you may proceed to call us through the intercom for assistence.]  
He looked around the room. On the wall next to the bed, there was a intercom box, and he drank from the glass to wake himself up, waiting for someone to respond.  
"Hello?"  
Deidara frowned. "Hi. I'm Iwa Deidara... mind telling me where I am, un?"  
"Ahh yes. You're in room 22, if you would just proceed to turn left after exiting the room, you'll be able to see your friends."  
-click-

Deidara's eye twitched. That didn't exactly answer his question, but he'd deal with it later. He finished off the last gulp in the glass and pushed open the sliding doors smoothly, allowing the light to enter the otherwise rather dark room. He rubbed his eyes and turned left as instructed.  
'Last thing I remember, Gaara kun had done something and I fell asleep, un...' he growled. 'But first thing is to find the rest, un... are they in here somewhere, un?'

"Sasori!!"

Deidara stopped and looked behind one of the doors, sliding it open a little. His eyes widened, and he pushed the door wider some.  
"Deidara?" Itachi came up next to him. Hidan pounced on him. "ASSHOLE!! We were so worried about you!! Getting kidnapped and all that." he growled as he messed up Deidara's hair, and the blonde looked completely stoned as Tobi put a hand on his shoulder.  
Deidara looked at them with obvious gratitude as he sighed. "Thanks, un, you guys." he looked at the Akaku members and Sasuke and his friends. "Where Sasori, un?" he asked. Then, narrowed his eyes a little, "And where's Sasori, un?"

It was a classic case of "Missing the Forest for the Trees".  
Deidara's head was pushed to face the main sunken floor of the room, and his eyes widened. "What... What's this, un..." he muttered, and he was held back by Itachi and Hidan as he stepped forward. "Let me go, un!!" he shouted, and Sasori and Gaara's eyes averted to him.

Gaara was panting far more than that of Sasori, and there seemed to be a serous wound on his head, as blood had stained his hair to an even darker colour, and the red liquid had dripped onto his clothing in a mixture of sweat, staining it thoroughly. His upper arms were littered with cuts from Sasori's sword and his right had had a deep wound that caused some blood to dry in a trail off his fingers. There was blood dripping from his mouth, though Dedara suspected it wasn't due to the fight.

Sasori had a cut on his right upper cheek and his left arm appeared useless (which was lucky since he utilised his right arm more than his left while he was fighting). His hair was touseled as though he'd just woken up from a long nights sleep, and his sweat was dripping down his chin. His left leg was positioned in front of his right as he stopped in a freeze, and strightened, swinging his sword over his right shoulder. He had a blood crazed look in his eyes, one that instantly disappeared and was replaced with a small smle while he looked at Deidara.

"Yo." he said, grinning.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'YO', UN??!!?" Deidara shouted, and Sasori sweatdropped. He put his sword down on the floor and then lifted his right hand to rest it on Deidara's left shoulder. "Nothing. Are you ok?" Sasori asked, and Gaara put a hand up comically, interrupting and saying in a low voice, "Oi, oi, we're still in the middle of the match... Kisse never gave either of us a time out." Sasori ignored him as Deidara nodded. "Mm, un. I guess so, but what are you doing, un?" he asked. Sasori followed his gaze to the knee and arm guards he had on, and he smirked.

"What am I doing?" he released Deidara and turned around with his eyes closed nonchalantly. "I'm fighting, of course." Gaara twitched and prodded him a little. "Oi, stop taking me lightly, you!" he muttered, and Sasori picked up his sword again. "Alright, alright, I heard you. Annoying pest." he said,and Deidara piped up, "It's not good to fight, un. Your blood pressure will go up and you'll die of stress and unnatural causes, un. And you only get to eat stupid... porridge-y stuff, un." he finished lamely. Sasori laughed, walking past Gaara and ruffling his hair like a child. Gaara glared at him and charged.

"DAMN YOU, FUCKING AKASUNA!!!" he yelled, and Sasuke and his friends' eyes widened. This was the first time in a long, LONG time they'd seen Gaara lose it.  
Sasori smirked, and in a flash, he kicked his right leg up high, and the front of his leg connected with Gaara's chin.

Kisse and the others gasped. Gaara was on the floor for a split second before he got up and wiped a trail of blood from his mouth. "You bloody cheat, you're only allowed to use your weapon during the fight!!" he yelled at Sasori, pointing his sword at him accusingly for the second time that day.  
Sasor smirked and put a hand on his right hip, sighing while panting. "Let me get this straight." he said, blowing his fringe out of the way as he leaned a little closer to Gaara's figure on the floor.

"Are you telling me you expect me to PLAY FAIR when it comes to this? Someone i like?"

Deidara looked around at the people who had wide eyes and were staring at him. He flushed and focused on the two in the dojo.  
"You're the one who asked for this, Sabaku." Sasori said, grinning. Gaara siezed the opportunity and whacked him one on the side of his head with the boken, but Sasori got up almost immediately. He smiled sadistically.

"Oh, Kakuzu... a mosquito bit me." he said nonchalantly, and Kakuzu smirked under his mask.  
"Then you just have to swat it to death."

* * *

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ARRRGH CHURCH CAMPPPPP.


	26. Chapter 26

ARRRRRGH MOVIE MAKING AT SCHOOL SCREW THIS CRUD.

* * *

Itachi was stunned at the amount of strength Sasori seemed to possess. Deidara had fought multiple times to keep from stopping the fight, but it had been over half an hour. Not very surprisingly, nobody had lost nterest even once during the period of their fight, watching like soccer addicts during the last game of the World Cup. Both had sustained serious injuries, but with the exception of a single timeout, neither had paused once to take a break.

"This is insane." Itachi said, and Kisame smiled at him. "Not really, how would you feel if someone you felt really close to was kidnapped?" he asked, and Itachi considered this before looking at the fight again. He sighed heavily, and Kisame folded his arms.  
"Sasori has never fought for anyone else other than the four of us. I guess your friend over there has a good connection with him or something, he mentioned something about them both liking art and stuff." Kisame chuckled, and Itachi smiled. "Deidara hasn't been able to find many people he can relate to strongly. I'm quite glad that he's found a friend in Sasori."

They watched for a bit in silence. Sasori had adopted a slightly crazed look, but Gaara had maintained his calm and composed demeanor after he'd yelled that last time. Sasuke and Neji were talking to the other band members who had surprisingly chosen to maintain an interest in the younger band, and Shikamaru was still speaking to Pein and Konan about the tour. Itachi looked at Sasuke as he walked up to him and Kisame.  
"So..." he said, putting his hands in his pockets. Itachi smiled. "Yeah?"  
"Well, long time no see..." Sasuke said lamely.  
Itachi looked at him with vague interest. "Yeah, I guess so. I was busy setting up all this." he gestured to Akaku.  
Sasuke nodded. "Hnn."

"So how's life back at the Main house?" Itachi asked, and Tobi walked over, ruffling Sasuke's hair lightly.  
Sasuke glared. "It sucks. They're forcing me to participate in a global competition."  
"That's great, isn't it? You get to pit yourself against other people." Itachi commented, and Kisame smiled, nodding as well.  
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "There's no point, I know that they would have sent you, and you're the only person besides Tobi who's better than me in the Uchiha house."

Itachi shook his head. "There are others better than me. Trust me."  
Sasuke just shrugged, and Tobi stepped in.

"Sasuke kun, i bought you something, it's inside my bag. will you follow me?" he asked, and Sasuke nodded. Itachi looked at him for a second, and Kisame looked at him. Tobi and Sasuke walked off, Tobi with his lopsided grin and like. Kisame looked at Itachi sideways and made to follow the 2 of them. The 3 of them left the room wth Kisame tailing the pair, suspcious.  
A few minutes later, Itachi realized that Kisame was not with them and he freaked out. 'At this rate' he thought, 'He'll find Tobi!' He looked left and right, and exited the room without making a fuss. Everyone was too engrossed in the fight.

"Kisame?" he called out softly at every corner. As he looked behind a screen door, he felt a cold wind sweep past him. A lantern blew out and he was left with a dim light to find his way.  
Now, Itachi wasn't afraid of the dark. In fact, he quite liked the dark... his old room was a dark hue with dark curtains and a dark oak desk and basically a dark everything. But this, this was different. He didn't know if he was in a deserted wing or something, but he knew that if he didn't find his way out of this place soon, he might start getting a little panicky. Not a very desired situation.

Moving on, he search behind every door, in the hopes of finding the older Tsukisa member but to no avail. He frowned in frustration. 'they didnt look like they were going to go far anyways,' he thought, 'just out of earshot.'  
"Kisame?" he called out again. He moved down the hallway and sighed. Dark, deserted and dusty. 3 D's he disliked when put together. "Kisame? Where are you?"

"You know, when you say it like that it sounds like you're out to kill me with a meat cleaver."

Itachi whirled around him. Kisame stood grinning and he rolled his eyes. "VERY funny." he said, meaning, obviously, that it wasn't very funny to him. "And how long have you been following me?" he asked, and the other boy smirked. "Long enough to know you wanted to find me pretty badly."  
Itachi rolled his eyes. "Ok, whatever. I found you, so let's go back." he turned and shivered, realizing that he was really cold despite his dusky red coat on his shoulders. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, continuing his walk.

"You ok? You look cold." Kisame commented, and Itachi turned around. "I maintain that THAT is entirely your fault." he said, and Kisame shrugged, his eyes wide. "And what makes you say that?" he asked in return, and Itachi growled. "If I never came after yo.." he paused and Kisame smirked. Digging your own grave, wasn't the saying?  
Pulling of his cotton jacket, he wrapped it around the uchiha's shoulders and smiled. "Ok, ok. It IS my fault, alright? Let's find our way back to the dojo." He hheld Itachi's hand and pulled him back where the Akaku band member had come from. Itachi tugged on the jacket, his hands not even in the sleeves yet with an awkward hand sticking out between the unzipped parting.

Itachi looked at Kisame. "Hey, Kisame." he said softly, thinking about Sohma and how Kisame had called him by that name after one of their first few concerts. Kisame looked at him and asked softly, "What?" Itachi reconsidered in a matter of seconds.  
"Nothing, it's nothing." he replied quickly, and Kisame watched him walk down the hallway. After a few steps, the Uchiha stopped. It was clear Kisame wasn't following, as the only sounds being made were his socked feet on the tatami floors. He turned back and sighed. "Really, it's nothing."

Kisame made it plain clear that he wasn't forgetting it. He stopped and cupped itachi's face in between his hands softly. Itachi frowned as he adverted his sight and brushed Kisame's hands away. "It's nothing. Let's just go back to where the rest are." the Uchiha said firmly, and Kisame sighed, running a hand through his dark blue cropped hair.  
"If it's nothing..." Kisame held Itachi's hand and pulled him back a little roughly. "Why did you even bring it up?" he asked, growling. Somehow, Kisame could sense that this was important.  
Itachi pushed him away. "It's NOTHING!!" he shouted, "Leave me alone!"

Leave me alone.

Itachi's eyes opened wide. Kisame watched him ponder what he had just said as he himself took a step back and breathed.  
This seemed so annoyingly like what he had dreaded would happen with Sohma that he was absolutely terrified. 'I am going to be rejected.' he thought dejectedly.  
Itachi stepped forward. "I didn't... i didn't mean.. I" he stammered, his sentence in bits and pieces. Kisame looked to his left, not wanting to meet the Uchiha's sight. Itachi was so scared that he turned Kisame's face to his and exclaimed,  
"I DIDN'T MEAN IT, I'M SORRY!" then, in a softer tone, "Don't be mad..."

Kisame looked at him and sighed widely, then he put his hands on his shoulders in relief. "I'm not mad, i'm not mad at all." he reassured him, and Itachi looked up, uncertain. Seeing Kisame's expression, he smiled softly and nodded. They smiled and walked down the hallway with the dim light to guide them. Itachi looked up at the pale Tsukisa member and nodded, swallowing.  
"Actually, I..." he started, then stopped again. Kisame sighed and turned to him.  
"Are you trying to be funny?" he said, grinning. Itachi laughed nervously and continued onward to where they had been before.  
"Actually, I wanted to ask you something, but i think it might be slightly too personal." Itachi said, and Kisame laughed. "It's fine, you can ask me whatever you want."

Itachi remembered once again the way Kisame had said Sohma's wretched name, and sighed. "What... what is this Sohma person to you?" he asked, and kisame stiffened noticably. Itachi shut his eyes and let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "It's ok." he said, and walked on. "You don't have to answer."

Kisame stopped him by pulling back on his arm once again. "He is nothing to me." he said, and Itachi looked at him sideways. He hadn't been too sure about it. "I believe that you could replace him, I thought that either that would be the case, or that we'd hate each other to an extent too alarming to say." he recounted, and chuckled. Then, holding Itachi's hand, he confided, "You have become so much more than that, Itachi... so much more important and significant. And I am so sure that you are nothing like that person." he sighed, and looked down the short length of corridor left before they came to where they had been before.

"And I have no regrets because now I have you."

Kisame was flushing bright red by this time, and Itachi smiled at him. Holding his hand, he pulled him out to the dojo whrere they'd been. "I'd like you to know..." Itachi said, pausing as he watched the fight, "That I appreciate what you said alot... Really, I do." he smiled as Sasori yhit Gaara with the wooden boken once again, and Gaara quickly recovered from the fall, getting up quickly and returning the hit, but Sasori, obviously, parried it amazingly.  
"No one has ever said something so nice and flattering to me and I know that you're a very important person in my life as well." he finished, and then they were silent. Kisame didn't mind.

Sometimes, when you don't know what to say, it might be a sign to tell you you should just let the matter rest anyway.

* * *

That day, the fight proceeded to end in Sasori's favor. Gaara was soundly defeated after another 30 minutes, and Sasori was caught by Deidara as he passed out a few minutes after Gaara had collapsed himself.

Sasori woke up sooner. (OBVIOUSLY.) And Deidara had stayed by his side throughout. Gaara woke up several minutes later, rubbing the side of his head and refusing to continue wearing the cast on his arm till Sasori slapped him hard on the head. Deidara had to help Sasori even in doing this, as his leg was injured from the fight.  
Gaara was embarassed to look at Deidara, but made the first move to apologize. Deidara grinned and laughed it off, saying that it was fun. Then he went off with Kisse to look around the brighter sides of the dojo with the rest, leaving Sasori and Gaara alone.

Sasori sat down on the bed, and Gaara immediately got up and sat in the opposing armchair. Sasori sighed. However immature and ANNOYING this might prove to be, he decided to be the mature one and rough it out with dignity, poise and eleganc...  
A soft, "Dickwit."  
Sasori glared at him. "Half brain."  
"Asshole." Gaara said monotonously.  
"Douchebag." Sasori retorted.  
"Stupid."  
"Idiot."  
"Pansy!!!"  
"Pussy!!!"  
"I HATE YOU!!"  
"WELL, I HATE YOU RIGHT BACK, YOU LITTLE SHIT!!" Sasori yelled.

So much for being mature.  
"You're such an idiot!!" Gaara said, palming his face with only his right hand, since his left was still in a cast. Sasori rolled his eyes.  
"And this obviously has something to do with the inheritance. Look Gaara." he said, meeting the other boy's green lined eyes, "It wasn't even MY choice to take over. It was forced upon me, when i was only a bloody age of FIFTEEN, by my grandmother, who didn't really give a crap about my age, and no one cared about ym parents, WHO, BY THE WAY, HAD JUST DIED!!!" he said, his voice gradually increasing to a shout.

He collapsed back onto the bed, the black silky sheets rumpled around him, and Gaara sighed aloud.  
"You know, I wish I knew my parents." Gaara said softly, and Sasori wondered if he heard him right. But he didn't question him. Instead, he went along with what he thought he'd heard. "What are you talking about, your parents were alive, right. In fact, they still are, as far as i recall. your dad's in charge of the Asia main Akasuna branch." Sasori said, and Gaara nodded. "They are alive." he said. He paused, and Sasori understood.  
"I get it." he said, and Gaara just stood up all of a sudden, and frowned. "I mean, they are alive, but i just don't understand... and they, well they don't make any effort to understand what I'm doing either." he said, and Sasori nodded.

"Yeah... I guess that's really... rough... So uh.." he paused, "Who took care of you when your parents went to Asia when you were a kid?" he asked finally.  
Gaara smiled. "My sister and brother. They're an awkward pair together, but that's sometimes because of me. I have alot of... issues." he said uncomfortably, and sasori nodded.

a very awkward silence ensued...

Deidara came back and popped his head in the door. "A couple of cabs are here to take us back to the hotel, Sasori." he said, and Sasori nodded, walking to the door with Gaara trailing behind him. Deidara made small talk with Gaara till they reached the main gate. Then Sasori grinned and ruffled Gaara's red dusky locks. the boy growled, but noddeda goodbye as the cab made to start the engine. Sasori looked at Kisse and smiled.

"Hatake's kid, right?" he asked, and Kisse nodded. "Yes."  
"You picked a good one."  
"I know it."  
Sasori grinned. He entered the car, and quickly, darted out again and gave Gaara and sharp push, sending him bumping into Kisse. Sasuke grinned at his and her beet red faces and gave him a thumbs up. Gaara glared at him, and Kisse, like Naruto with Hinata back in Japan, nearly fainted from blood rushing to her head. Deiadara, in the car, grinned.

"Very nice."  
"I know it."

* * *

Please Review.

FINALLY!!


	27. Chapter 27

I HAVE MSN :D  
Just to let you guys know. If you wanna dd me, review one of the chaps and i'll reply if you ask for the addy XD

This fic is COMPLETELY fictional. It ain't gonna happen in the anime (even if you and i both wish it) and the artists' names i used have NO connection to the characters. I TAKE NO CREDIT, I TAKE NO CREDIT!! But i think the song might freak you out this time :D LULZ.

* * *

"HEY!! STOP RIGHT THERE!!"

Tobi rolled his eyes privately. This place was filed with amatuers. He held up his card, and as the employee gave it a quick glance, he sidestepped him and listened to the repeated mumbles of 'sorry'. He smiled his way, and continued onward.  
Their practice session was in a local studio this time, since the function room at the hotel happened to be booked. Just 2 days ago, the entire band had seen Sasuke off at the airport, whereby Itachi had flicked Sasuke on the forehead once before he let him depart. It was a god time as Sasori and Deidara joked for Gaara to come again, and Shikamaru and Neji firmly thanked Pein and Konan for all their advice, which they knew would come in handy for future gig administration.

Right now, though, they were stuck in a little dilemma.

"NO. NO. NO, NO. NO!!" Kakuzu had officially lost it. Tobi blinked.  
"What's going on?" he asked Zetsu, who smiled at him. He offered the shorter boy a ottle, which Tobi sipped from. "Pein's asking us to do this one song from the Black Eyed Peas, that latest one, Bom Boom Pow. But Kakuzu doesn' want to." he chuckled. "But the rest of us want to perform it even more now, since he refused so strongly."  
Tobi laughed at this, and Zetsu smiled. "I think he should be more willing to do it thean Sasori, since Sasori's the one doing Fergie's bits."

Tobi was shocked. "ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!" he exclaimed, and Zetsu doubled over in silent stitches. "Oh yeah. That is going to be one hell of a performance."  
Tobi cocked his head and looked at Zetsu. "Isn't his voice a litle low for that part?"  
"Nah. Sasori has a reallywide vocal range. Like Mariah Carey." he joked. Sasori glared at him. "I heard that." "It was meant for you to hear."

Kakuzu glared at all of them, and at Hidan, who was giving him his signiture pout.  
"HELLO!?! DOES ANYONE GIVE A DAMN WHAT I THINK!?!"

* * *

"EHHHH!?!?"

"Yeah. Pein used to be a Music Video director." Konan said, and Akaku members stared at her. Tobi frowned. Really?! The guy looked too narrow-minded to actually do any of that directing stuff. "Which videos did he direct? Who has he worked with?" Hidan asked, and Deidara shifted next to Itachi. Konan thought for a minute before replying,  
"Avenged Sevenfold, Iron Maiden, Hey Monday, Fall Out Boy, Boys Like Girls, Black Eyed Peas..." she pondered this and added, "He rejected working with Britney Spears though. He thinks she's too brattish. He liked her younger sister better. Jamie Spears."

Itachi's eyes widened. "He REJECTED Britney spears?!" Konan nodded.  
Hidan rolled his eyes. He never thought names to be a big indication of someone.  
Deidara grinned, his eyes wide and sparkly like. "Cool, un."  
Tobi looked at his nails and nodded. "He's got to be a really big name then, right?? And now he's helping Tsukisa on to stardom." he said, and Konan nodded. "The Black Eyed Peas called him the other day and asked if he could make other bands try out their song, Boom Boom Pow, encouraging them to perform the song to boost it to the top of the Hit list." Itachi pounded a fist on his palm and nodded. "So that's it."

Deidara scratched his head. "He didn't really, un, look like a MV director, un. Sorry, un." he said sheepishly, and Konan chuckled. "Didn't, huh... I know what you mean." she said and Itachi laughed. "Well, they're doing that song and we've got to work on ours guys. Let's get cracking." he said, and the band nodded, Tobi picking up his drumsticks.

As they performed the usual sound checks, he pondered if Madara would be angry if he knew that Tobi had lied some. The previous night, Tobi wondered for several hours how to reply Madara's text asking him about the bands and if he was getting too personal, reminding him that that was restricted and he had a strict duty to the Uchiha clan. Tobi eventually replied shortly, reassuring him falsely that he was dedicated only to serving the uchiha clan and the like. While madara may have slept well, Tobi had certainly suffered the brunt of his guilt by not being able to sleep a wink.

Zetsu stayed up with him, and they talked. he smiled at the memory. 'He was so sweet, staying up till nearly 3 with me.'

_"Tobi?"  
"Mm." Tobi had responded, and Zetsu sat up. "Could tell you weren't asleep..." the other person said. Tobi smiled bitterly, and sat with his head in his hands. Zetsu stood up and sat next to Tobi. "What's wrong?" he asked, and Tobi looked up at him. "Nothing, really. I just had to answer a question, I had to lie again." he said bitterly, and Zetsu smiled._

_Stroking Tobi's fair cheeck, Zetsu sighed in disdain. "I hate seeing you like this, Tobi..." he said softly, and Tobi leaned into his hand, which gently cupped the right side of his face. "you look so sad and torn, this will wear you out." Tobi looked in Zetsu's eyes and then down at his curled up toes in front of him. "I know..." he said in a small voice._

He remembered something else, and flushed full on, shaking his head to clear it.  
He's felt so vulnerable in front of Zetsu...  
But so utterly safe, that it was almost unbelievable.

* * *

Zetsu sighed and stood up. He took his cup of coffee, then made to sit down again. A minute later, he stood up and paced around the room once, twice, thrice, then sat down in a chair opposite the one he was in before. He picked up the papers and read a line or two, then discarded them on the coffee table. Kakuzu growled.  
"The hell is wrong with you?" he asked harshly, and Sasori blew a strand of hair out of his eyes. Kisame yanked Zetsu's shirt, causing him to sit down on the chair next to him.

_"Ahh... you, you kissed me!!" Tobi flushed.  
'Ah, he's so cute...' Zetsu thought, smiling as he hugged him, and Tobi relaxed into the hug.  
_

Zetsu flushed bright red as he remembered what he had done to Tobi the day before. Kisame saw the blush and yelled, causing Pein to drop a humongous stack of copied lyrics, and he growled loudly, causing Kisame to belt out a mock terrified "meep!"  
Sasori glared at him . "Looks like he was born a sissy all along." he said, and Kakuzu chuckled. Kisame rolled his eyes. "Zetsu's blushing, Zetsu's blushing." he said teasingly, and Sasori and Kakuzu looked up over the lyrics in their hands, both smirking evily at the same time.

"Ohhh, we know why you yelled now."  
"So Zetsu, was it that pumpkin boy?"  
"His name is Tobi." Zetsu said irritably, but he couldn't help but smile as Kisame thumped him on the back.

_"Tobi..." Zetsu said sadly, as the small boy grabbed at his shirt. "Do you have ANY idea how hard this is?!" Tobi whispered furiously. Tears pooled in the corners of his reddening eyes.  
"I hate it, i hate it!!" the Uchiha choked. "I'm lying to the one person i hold in the highest form of respect!! But if i tell him the truth, i'll be betraying the other person i hold with the same respect..." he shook his fists in vain, causing Zetsu to put his hands over the smaller boy's. "Tell me," he looked up at Zetsu with huge, teary eyes, wide with something almost akin to fear._

_"Tell me!!!"  
_

_But then Zetsu did something he would never do normally.__ Remembering a line from a song, he leaned in closer to Tobi, whose eyes widened, but didn't move.  
**they said, "what are you waiting for, kiss her, kiss her!".  
**Slowly, he moved his fingers so that he could pull Tobi closer to... he didn't know what he was going to do, but his body did...  
"Tobi... don't do... a thing." he heard himself say, as Tobi came closer. Their eyes slid shut and Tobi's arms came around Zetsu's neck as he held him closely._

_And they kissed..._

"HOLY HELL!" Kisame exclaimed, earning him another dirty look from Pein, which he duly ignored. Kakuzu nudged him and grinned. "Wow, Zetsu... you kissed him already, huh?"  
Sasori shrugged. "No big deal, I'm beginning to think we're more like a band of gay porn stars than a band of musicians.." Kakuzu clocked him one on the head and Kisame laughed at him.  
Zetsu smiled, scratching the back of his head. "Let's get back to work, we have a song to learn by tomorrow."

* * *

"You cannot be serious."  
"I can."  
"... PHUCK. (%!&(&^(%^^p(()#$&^()& IT!!!!"

Everyone stared at Pein. "I told you he'd blow." he replied cooly, as he walked off.  
The gig was brought forward to the next day.

* * *

The smoky ambience only made the audience anticipate what was coming next.  
They never, in their sanity, considered this.

"We gonna try something new tonight!!" Kisame said, a little breathless but smiling. Zetsu rolled on stage a portable turntable station, and Tobi's eyes widened. Zetsu could turntable! How cool was that!? he grinned and Zetsu returned the gesture.  
"This song isn't by us, but it's by the Black Eyed Peas, and they requested something from us tonight. We couldn't say no, now can we?" he asked, and the audience roared. Zetsu checked the mike and turned up the switches and managed the effects.

Smoke erupted from random places in the stadium and everyone was screaming in excitement. Zetsu took this opportunity to kickstart the song.

Zetsu:  
_Gotta get-get, gotta get-get_ [he kept a hand on the turntables, making it a point to emphasize his movements. the cameras picked up on it almost immediately.]  
_Gotta get-get, gotta g-g-g-get-get-get, get-get_ [he put his right hand on his mouthpiece, and turn the table, shaking his head accordingly.]

_R (rest):_ _Boom boom boom,_ [the struck different positions at the appropriate times...]  
_Z: gotta get-get  
R: Boom boom boom,_ [making the dance look a little like the robot...]  
_Z: gotta get-get  
R: Boom boom boom,_ [because their movements were jerky and the like...]  
_Z: gotta get-get  
R: Boom boom boom,_ [and they looked too in sync with the music to be human.]  
_Z: gotta get-get_

A (all):  
_Boom boom boom, now_ [this time zetsu joined in the fun, making his own limited movements, before concentrating for the beats to come out properly.]  
_Boom boom boom, now  
Boom boom pow_ [they pumped thier fist like hitting something, and jumped.]  
_Boom boom_

Kisame:  
_Yo, I got that hit that beat the block_ [he shot his hands around randomly at different heights]  
_You can get that bass overload_ [he pretended to play the bass, picking at the strings like Itachi always did]  
_I got the that rock and roll _[he "rolled" his hands like in the 80's and locked his elbow]  
_That future flow_ [he made a flowing movement from his right up to left down]

_That digital spit _[he covered his mouth and looked away, as if he was spitting]  
_Next level visual shit_ [he showed the audience the flat of his fist, then 20 cm above it, his other flat of his hand]  
_I got that boom boom pow_ [he threw his hand out to the audience three times according to the lyrics]  
_How the beat bang, boom boom pow_ [he repeated the gesture, but earlier, and on the last note he threw his arm out to Sasori.]

Sasori:  
_I like that boom boom pow_ [he pretended to be punching Kisame, who comically jerked back where Sasori "hit" him]  
_Them chickens jackin' my style_ [he fell back and pulled forward, as though pulling on 2 straps]  
_They try copy my swagger _[he bounced, 1, 2, then switched his feet quick like lightning, and switched back]  
_I'm on that next shit now_ [he swept dush off his shoulder and locked his shoulder]

_I'm so 3008_ [he held up 3 fingers, then aded 5 on his other hand to make it 8]  
_You so 2000 and late_ [he held up 2 fingers and then jerks his thumb over his shoulder]  
_I got that boom, boom, boom_ [he smirked at the camera and poked it, so that the large screen showed that]  
_That future boom, boom, boom_ [he held the flat of his hand up to his eyes as though trying to see something far away]  
_Let me get it now_ [He stretched his arms out both ways, appealing to the rest of the band to fall in step.]

_Boom boom boom, gotta get-get  
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get  
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get  
Boom boom boom, gotta get-get_

_Boom boom boom, now  
Boom boom boom, now  
Boom boom pow  
Boom boom pow_

Kakuzu:  
_I'm on the supersonic boom _[he switched his hands, up and down, up and down, then jumped stiffly when he said, "boom"]  
_Y'all hear the spaceship zoom_ [he turned sharply, his right arm sweeping up and pointing to something far away]  
_When, when I step inside the room_ [he shoved himself in between Kisame and Sasori and held the hands of a few girls in front of the stage]  
_Them girls go ape-shit, uh_ [he walked back to where he had been and rolled his eyes, indicating that the same thing always happened]

_Y'all stuck on Super 8 shit_ [he nudged the elbows of his fellow band members aside from Zetsu who was operating the beat]  
_That low-fi stupid 8 bit_ [he led them to the front of the stage, whereby they did a series of synchronized dance steps]  
_I'm on that HD flat _[he widened his arms and outlined a rectangle, signifying a huge TV]  
_This beat go boom boom bap_ [he crouched down and up, following the beat and stomping his feet at the last bit]

At this point Sasori had taken over Zetsu so that he could have his fair share of fun, too.

Zetsu:  
_I'm a beast when you turn me on _[he punched his fist downward to the floor, first his left then his right, interchanging them jumping and crossing his arms]  
_Into the future cybertron_ [he threw his arms back one by one, then forward one by one, he then slid to the left then jumped backward to the right]  
_Harder, faster, better, stronger _[he lifted up his arms slowly and shrugged, then smirked at the camera]  
_Sexy ladies extra longer _[he made an hourglass figure outline with the flat of his hands and grinned]

_'Cause we got the beat that bounce_ [he crouched down on the low and bouced left to right, interchanging his feet like Sasori had done before]  
_We got the beat that pound _[he turned out his pockets and signified them being empty by sighing. Kakuzu laughed]  
_We got the beat that 808_ [he jabbed a thumb at his chest and then looked at the other band members, pointing to the audience]  
_That the boom, boom in your town_ [he made huge gestures, and ended by balancing on one hand for a bit before jumping backward, and returning to his station happily]

Sasori took off his ear cuff like mike properly, then smirked as he caught a proper mike from Kakuzu, one of those you had to hold, but looked damn awesome on stage.

Sasori:  
_People in the place_ [he held the mike up in the air as his voice reached its climax, and the others clapped in huge movement, encouraging the audience to clap along]  
_If you wanna get down _[he crouched down lower and touched a few of the raving audience's hands]  
_Put your hands in the air _[he spread his right arm out to the rest of Tsukisa who were raising up their hands and clapping]  
_Ready up, we'll drop the beat now_ [he looked at Zetsu and they broke a team handshake, dancing in a proper formation]

Zetsu:  
_Yup, yup_ [he waved his right hand in the air, his left on placed on his left earphone by its fingertips]  
_I be rockin' them beats, yup, yup _[he glanced at his band mates, then out at the audience, cheering and yelling]  
_I be rockin' them beats, y-y-yup, yup _[he tilted his his head to the left and caress the mike with his fingers, singing into it]  
_Here we go, here we go, satellite radio  
Y'all gettin' hit with _

Rest:  
_boom boom!!_

Zetsu:  
_Beats so big I'm steppin' on leprechauns  
Shittin' on y'all with the _

Rest:  
_boom boom_

Zetsu:  
_Shittin' on y'all you with the _

Rest:  
_boom boom  
Shittin' on y'all you with the_

_This beat be bumpin', bumpin'  
This beat go boom, boom_

All:  
_Let the beat rock  
(Let the beat rock)  
Let the beat rock  
(Let the beat)  
Let the beat  
(Let the beat rock, rock, rock, rock)_

Tobi smiled as the smoke bombs went off and Deidara pulled his his elbow, grinning. "BLAST, UN!!" he yelled, and Sasori smiled at this. He walked up to Zetsu.  
"I didn't know you could rap..." he said shyly. Zetsu smiled at him and suddenly held his hand.  
"You know now..."

* * *

Please review.

ZOMG I HATE SCHOOL (it never gets old.)  
Please come back to me my dearly beloved reviewers :OOO


	28. Chapter 28

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG

* * *

"OH, MY GOD!! That was bloody priceless."

A sleepover was in session. Itachi, Hidan, Tobi, Deidara and Konan grinned at each other, exchanging or Dare always did have a bloody good appeal on these sleepovers. "Ok, that one was wicked." Hidan commented, and Konan laughed. "He never used to have so many piercings, you know. He used to just have 3 on each ear, and an industrial bar in his right one, and 2 eye brow piercings. Now he's like, PHWOAR, the metal man!!" he said, and Itachi laughed.

Deidara looked up from where he was, styling Tobi's hair, who was sitting quietly and obediently on the carpeted floor. "You know, un, I kind of wonder what they were like when they were young, all of them, un." Konan considered this, tilting her head to the left and resting it on her right index finger. Itachi rolled his eyes.  
"Who cares, they're looking good now, right."

...

"What is said in this room STAYS IN THIS ROOM."  
Deidara grinned. "Itachi likes 6-somes, un!!!" Tobi laughed loudly. "SICK!! DEMON CHILD!!" he said, flicking imaginary holy water on Itachi.  
"EW!!" Hidan commented. "Who could ever like that stupid asshead i'm rooming with??" Konan chuckled. 'You could.' she thought.  
There was a knock at the door, and Tobi looked up.

"I think it's room service." he said.  
"ROOM SERVICE!!!" the girl entered the room after Deidara yelled for her to come in.  
"See." he said smugly. Hidsan slapped his forehead. The he turned to Itachi.  
"Hey you, I dare you to chat up the lady." the albino grinned. Itachi smirked. "Fine." he replied arrogantly.

He walked up to the girl.  
"Good evening, I was wondering if you had a minute." he said. Rule number 1: cut straight to the shit. He knew how rarely pick up lines worked, and he didn't want to take the chance. The brown haired girl twisted a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled bashfully at him.  
"Um, yeah?" she asked. He grinned. Gained a foothold.

Step 2: think up something casual. "I was wondering if you'd like to take a drink with me."  
The girl frowned slightly, glancing at the door. "Um, I can't... sorry, I'm working."  
Itachi sighed inwardly. 'AS IF it wasn't obvious.' In the event of this not working, do NOt panic. Be cool, be calm, be casual. Make it like you expected her to say no anyway.  
He looked disappointed. "Well, sure. That's ok. But i mean, I thought the main priority of the staff was to help their guests." he smiled at her. "I'm feeling a little lonely, and these friends of mine want to do nothing but play cards. I was hoping someone would accompany me."Step 3: Be stoic, rationalize. Make her see your point of view.

She smiled. Oh, these american bimbos. Rampant on the streets of... wherever the hell they were. "Well, if you put it that way..."  
Step 4: Smile. They had a drink.  
Hidan cursed. He now owed Itachi 5 bucks.

* * *

"What the fucking hell. I cannot believe you did that. You are shitting me, right." Sasori said in a monotonous tone. Kisame laughed and clutched his side.  
"N... No!! I'm serious." Kakuzu and Zetsu burst out laughing.  
You are now having a rare view of Tsukisa group bonding.

Pein popped his head into the room. "Hey, Lady Gaga's coming over to where our next show is." he said.  
Sasori's jaw dropped. Kisame grinned. Kakuzu looked at Zetsu, who sighed heavily.  
"SHE IS HAWT." Kisame said, and Sasori and the rest look at him. he shook his head sadly. "It's a sad life to be bisexual." Kisame said melodramatically. Sasori rolled his eyes.

Pein picked up 2 booklets and handed them out.  
Sasori grimaced. "Aw, Pein, that's dumb. What are you showing us this stuff for?" Kisame laughed and Zetsu sighed heavily. Kakuzu rolled his eyes. "Look, she's one of the best I've worked with. you sould do with taking a leaf out of her book." Pein said sternly. Sasori childishly stuck out his tongue at him. Kisame grinned.

"Hey you know, we should give her music a shot." Kisame convinced, and Kakuzu looked at Zetsu.  
Zetsu stood up, not wanting to be the one who made the decisions. "I'm going to get some coffee." he said.  
"What kind of songs is she going to do? Is it a promotion tour or a comeback tour or a..." Sasori trailed off. Pein took out a stapled booklet and handed it to him.  
"Just dance, Poker face... all of her latest songs. I'm guessing it's just like you guys, a promotion tour." Pein said, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully. "She requested our help.."

"SERIOUSLY!? NO WAY!!"  
"Well, THAT was unexpected..."  
"We're just amateurs!"  
"Did you consent?" Zetsu asked from where he was.

"... as her back up dancers."

Everyone's eyes hardened. "NO." they said in unison. Pein rolled his eyes.  
"Guys, this is good exposure. Besides, it's street dancing, the kind you're comfortable with." Pein said. "Comfortable with?" Kisame repeated. "God damn it, Pein, COMFORTABLE? me and Kakuzu are going on 27, for the love of...!!!" Kakuzu chuckled. "What, scared?"  
Kisame blinked. "Huh?"  
Sasori whistled. "Oooook. Here we go." he took a step back and Zetsu returned with the coffee. Kisame grinned boyishly. "I don't know what you're talking about." he said.  
Kakuzu nodded. "I think you do. And I think I'm right." he took another step closer to Kisame, tilting his head. since they were around the same height, neither seemed to be at an advantage. "I think you're scared of breaking a bone or two. What's the matter old man. Scared you lost it?" he taunted.

Now, Kakuzu may have been the LAST person you expected this to come from, but to be honest he was the most daring one of the group. Kisame might look outwardly daring and the like, but truly he was a person who considered his actions very carefully.  
But Kisame disliked looking like an idiot if he didn't take up the dares. For a second, he looked as though he was going to refuse. Then...

"I don't like it. I think you're a downright idiot for doing this, you retard, but I'm doing it too." he grinned at his band members. Sniffing in the cool room, he laughed loudly. "Hah, isn't that funny??" Sasori grinned. Zetsu smiled. "That's the way."  
"Right." Pein said.

"Looks like i'll be making some calls."

* * *

Please Review.

GHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!


	29. Chapter 29

"So yeah. The choreographer can teach them the steps.."  
"No, Haha." Pein let her hear the hardened laughter he had practiced for so long. "That's where we put our foot down. It's either our own steps or nothing." Lady GaGa rolled her little eyes. Itachi wanted to gouge them out for a moment. "Besides, don't you trust us with our choreography?"  
The singer smiled. "Course' I do. It''s just that the show has a theme, you know? And i just want to work around it, that's all." She said, tossing her hair. Deidara stepped back. She had on a blonde wig that was silky enough to rival his and Itachi's hair. How scary was that!?

"Then tell us the theme, we'll work around it."  
"Oh, alright. Honestly Pein, you were so much more mellow when you were working with me What happened to the good old times, hmm?"  
Konan rolled her eyes. "That's the point. they were OLD times."  
Lady GaGa laughed. "Cute girlfriend."  
"He's not my boyfriend."  
"She's not my girlfriend." Lady GaGa laughed at this.  
"Oh," she sighed dramatically. "How easily they flutter into self-denial."

Hidan decided he liked her attitude quite alot.

* * *

"Flip. GOD DAMN IT, JUST FLIP, DO WHAT I SAY!!" Kakuzu yelled at a poor amateur dancer on the set. Hidan grinned at the scene and jumped in.  
"Aww, relax Kuzu, this fella might not even know what a flip is, rightio?" Hidan said, nudging the dancer, who nodded and made a quick getaway. Kakuzu sighed. Honestly, this stupid little...

Sasori headed over. "THEY CAN'T FLIP, CAN BREAK, CAN'T THIS OR THAT OR ANYTHING!!" He sat down in frustration and put his head in between his hands. "WHAT THE HELL, aren't they SUPPOSED to know the basics?!?!" Kakuzu sighed in annoyance and Hidan waved his hands like a fan, before running off to get a drink. Kisame and Itachi walked over.  
"How's it going, you two?" He said, grinning under his visor. Itachi smiled and brought out 2 cans of Sapporo they managed to find at a supermarket. Kakuzu and Sasori perked up instantly, taking a can each and popping the tabs.

"Terrible." Deidara sighed, walking over. "Fucking terrible."  
Deidara rarely swore. Sasori looked up. "What happened?" Tobi came over with Zetsu.

"They don't know a thing, that's what. I cannot take this, if another one of them asks me what a bouree is I am going to kill myself." Deidara said, frustratedly, and Itachi patted his shoulder. Zetsu sighed, crossing his arms. "But really, at this rate we're going to have to do things on our own with no backup." he said.  
"Unless they do their dance and we do ours?" Itachi asked.  
"No deal. It's backup or No back up." Pein said. He walked past them, answered a question, took a donut and continued on walking.

Konan stopped by. "Deidara, one of the guys over there asked when you were going back." she said, and stopped. Gloom was exuded from the group in an alarming amount.  
"Deidara san, what the heck is bouree?!" one of the guys yelled over. Deidara growled.

"ARGH!!!"

* * *

"I can't take it anymore." Kakuzu said, palming his face. "These dancers have proven a new level of stupid." hidan smiled, and sat down next to him, allowing his shoulders to stiffen whin he tensed his arm muscles. "they're just scared of you guys." he poked his finger around in the air thoughtfully. "To be honest, I think you guys should do a solo dance."  
Kakuzu looked at Hidan. Really? This guy was just as perceptive as himself.  
"I was thinking of doing tha.."

"LOOK OUT!! FUCKING LIGHT'S ARE DOWN!!"

Hidan's instinctive reaction was to look up. When he gasped, Kakuzu knew it was true and he grabbed Hidan around the waist and threw himself as far away from where they were as possible. A loud crash erupted behind them and Kakuzu's leg was pinned down by a heavy stage light. Glass was heard to shatter, and the first to reach them were Kisame and Itachi, concerned lead singers of this bands. Pein was yelling at the management crew already, and Konan was pulling Deidara back from socking the leader of the team.  
"Ahh... shit!" Hidan groaned, getting up. He had his hand cupping his head and got up gradually, till he realized Kakuzu wasn't moving.

"Ouch..." Kakuzu said, hissing lowly. Hidan lay back down and perred around his right arm, seeing him being trapped under the lights. "AHHH!! YOU IDIOT!" Hidan's first reaction was to yell. Kakuzu nodded and shut his eyes. "Yeah..." he said, tired of leaning on his hands. "Idiot..."  
Then he fell forward and rested his head on Hidan's collarbone area, wincing from the pain as they struggled to lift the lights. Hidan looked down at him. "ARGH! God damn it.." he flushed and tilted his head backwards. He had his hands awkwardly placed on Kakuzu's shoulders, and as Itachi and Kisame somehow managed to life the lights, Zetsu and Tobi picked out choice medication from the on-site first said kit.

"I don't think..."  
Hidan laned closer to Kakuzu. "Huh?" he asked softly.  
"I don't think this hurts that much. But, if you had gotten hurt... I would have..." Kakuzu's eyes were covered by his long fringe when he said, this, "... really lost it.."  
Hidan was a little taken aback at this. What did Kakuzu care if he was gotten hurt? Didn't they hate each other?  
'Ah... he cares about me?' Hidan pondered. Then he chuckled.  
"It's kind of... a nice feeling that you noticed." he said, pulling Kakuzu away from the lights as Kisame nearly dropped it again. Kakuzu leaned against Hidan, unable to move his right leg. Hidan clutched Kakuzu by the shoulders and the Tsukisa band member allowed his arms to drop to the floor. "Thanks." Hidan said, smiling down at Kakuzu.

Pushed aside for Zetsu and Tobi to apply treatment for Kakuzu's leg, Hidan went to get a soda. After all this, feeling thirsty might have been the least of his wories but the again at least it gave him something to do rather than remember how Kakuzu had...  
Yeah, yeah... nevermind.

* * *

That night an awkward silence hung over on the room. Kakuzu had woken up, his hair dishevelled and his leg in bandages, taking him several minutes to figure out what the HECK had happened. Hidan didn't know what to say. As he rose to help Kakuzu get out of the bed to get some food or something, Kakuzu said he needed to wash up and got up at the other side of the bed, making his way at a more normal pace than expected. Hidan waited till the door closed before he sat back down on the bed and ran his hands through his hair, the wax already losing its effect. He looked in the mirror at the other side of the room and growled. "God, why am I so stupid."

Later, Kakuzu emerged from the shower in loose jeans and topless. Hidan was reading a book as Kakuzu sat down on his bed. "Hey." He said.  
Hidan didn't look up. "Is your leg ok? Thought you'd have trouble with it.."  
Kakuzu tilted Hidan's chin up and shook his head. "No." Hidan took in the sight of Kakuzu and recoiled. "HOLY FU...!!"  
If Kakuzu's face could be in an emoticon it might've been O_O or _ or .____." Maybe _

"What's wrong?" "What the hell, put on a shirt!" "What's the problem? We're both guys."  
Hidan looked away and didn't comment. Kakuzu laughed at this, and THEN another awkward silence ensued. Hidan put the book away and turned to face Kakuzu.  
"About today..." his hair was completely loose and unwaxed now, "Thanks."

Kakuzu stared at this version of Hidan, loose hair, simple clothes, in bed. Very unusual. Very quiet. Very, very appealing. He leaned over. "It's fine."  
"I thought you were really really stupid at first, I mean, you just jumped in and... But then your leg got hurt and they had to do all this bandaging and crap and.."  
"It's ok." Kakuzu said, as Hidan got into a frenzy. He turned the albino's head towards him. "It's O. K."

After a few minutes in silence Kakuzu looked at hidan, who was sliding under the sheets. "I just... I don't.." he stuttered, and Kakuzu nodded, moving closer. "I didn't see the light and when he shouted I just couldn't move..." "Yeah.." "And then you just pushed me and the thing, it landed on yo.." Kakuzu held his cheek.  
Hidan didn't understand. "Kakuzu?" he asked softly. Kakuzu lifted a hand to his mask. Then suddenly he stopped and his eyes widened. He moved back and took his hand off Hidan's cheek. "Nothing." he said. He waslked back to his bed and sat down against the headboard, silent.

Hidan, ever the slow to process, took a full 3 minutes before he leapt out of the bed and sat gingerly on Kakuzu's to avoid hurting his leg. He leaned over. "Kakuzu?"  
"Hidan, push off." Kakuzu growled. Undeterred, hidan pulled the sheets off and leaned over. Kakuzu looked at him, then turned his head away.  
"Kakuzu, what's under your mask..." Kakuzu laughed. "My face?"  
"I know.. why do you hide it?" he asked again. Kakuzu didn't respond this time.

Hidan put the tips of his fingers where Kakuzu's mask was pulled up to and looked at him. Kakuzu's hand automatically came up to hold his. "Whatever it is," Hidan promised softly, "You can trust me.." Kakuzu watched him for a minute, and slowly, he nodded, releasing the albino's hands.  
Hidan rolled the mask down and his eyes widened beefore wincing.  
Stitches. Scars from stiches, and they looked deep, and very painful. He traced his fingers lightly against then, sighing. "What happened..."  
"Car accident. Very.. very bad car accident." Kakuzu said vaguely, and Hidan nodded.

Their eyes met and Hidan was suddenly aware that he was leaning over Kakuzu in a very provocative manner. "Uhm..." he said, flushing. Kakuzu smiled at how unaffected he was.  
He pulled him closer and hugged him. At this, hidan was slightly shocked, and he smiled and cuddled against the warmth of kakuzu, and later on, he tilted his head upwards.  
That night Hidan kissed Kakuzu.

It was soft, it was gentle, and it was loving...

* * *

Please Review.

WAY OVERDUE!!!


	30. Chapter 30

Lol, yes it was a very late update... It's been so irregular because i've been having a SERIOUS writer's thinking about abandoning it to a friend of mine, also a fab writer, but decided I needed to finish this up good and proper. I mean, it's be one of the few things I'd finish up.  
Anyway, Thanks for the REVIEWS. PLEASE COME BACK MY REGULAR REVIEWERS D:  
((they prolly think i died =="))  
Either way, I guess this chapter should contain some fluffier here's the advertisement :)

I'M LOOKING FOR 4 DIFFERENT LEMON WRITERS.  
That's right.  
I'M LOOKING FOR 4 DIFFERENT LEMON WRITERS.

Preferably with experience and the willingness to collaborate on MSN. That would work out the best. I'm looking for people willing to write something a little more SMish for KakuHi, cute for SasoDei and ItaKisa, and something a bit more soft and sweet for ToZet. ((I know some of the pairing names are wrong, prolly.))  
So please PLEASE respond D:

Here's your chapter, enjoy.

* * *

"Bet something changed between them..." Itachi whispered to Kisame. The taller boy grinned and shut his eyes. "I unno'." he replied. Itachi glared at on the deck chairs aside the pool, Itachi and Kisame were enoying some shade while the rest were out in the sun.  
The Lady GaGa dance had been cancelled due to the inury Kakuzu had obtained from the falling light, and Pein and Konan were threatening the crew about a lawsuit anyway. That when Kakuzu stepped in just as Hidan almost did and said, "It's fine. Let's just skip this time round." then he walked off.

Hidan walked off in the opposite direction. Deidara pulled him back. "Hey, what's up, un? You ok, un?"  
The albino turned around, and Deidara stood back a little. Hidan was blushing a little as he muttered: "I'm great. Thanks."  
Silently, he walked off. SILENTLY.

Deidara walked back and Lady GaGa joined them. Silence hung in the air for a bit then Itachi wrapped his arms around himself suddenly, turning to Tobi. His, Deiadra's and Tobi's eyes were WIDE open. "HE. IS. NOT. GREAT." Itachi said, looking at the floor in horror. Tobi looked at where Hidan had been "He was quiet.." Tobi commented, and he looked at Deidara, who nodded. "Definitely NOT great, UN." He said, stressed. Lady GaGa spoke to Pein and Konan for a while as the discussion continued.

"I don't know what happened between them, but it's going to be really awkward.." Kisame said, scratching his head, bringing Itachi back to the present. "They haven't been talking much, huh." He nodded off to the seperate parts of the pool, where Kakuzu was doing laps and on the other end where Hidan was sitting, chatting lowly with Deidara and Tobi, laughing every now and "should we ask them?" Itachi asked. Kisame shook his head, removing his visor and grinning. "Relax, Itachi. If it's something important, I know Kakuzu will bring it up. He's always been smart enough to do that." Kisame took off the towel around his neck and stood up, topless. he waved at Zetsu and Sasori. "Yo, guys!!" He shouted, laughing.

"What the hell, Kisame, you freak, get in the god damned pool!!" Sasori yelled back. Zetsu laughed. "He's not even wet yet!" the drummer added.  
"Yeah well, sorry if i wanna spend some QUALITY time here, fellas." Kisame said, and Itachi pretended not to notice as the other band members grinned slyly and nodded, Sasori even whispered, "Ooo~" to Deidara and wiggled his eyebrows, who flushed and laughed at him being so silly.

"Yeah well..." kisame grinned, lowering himself into the water. Itachi watched the water lap against his skin and focused instead on his Martini, swishing the liquid around slowly.  
"Itachi get in, un! The water's great, un!!" Deidara called, grinning widely. Itachi smiled but didn't make a move. Kisame turned around and "Yeah.. come on in and join us." then, soundlessly, he mouthed, "Join me." then he smirked and turned around. Itachi stared.

Now you see everyone. Uchiha itachi had a bit of a problem. He had nearly drowned during a pool party his parents sent him to when he was 4. This wasn't strongly imprinted in his memory, but the hazy blue nightmares he'd gotten sometimes since less than a year ago brought it all back, the blurry blue or the floor and the suffocating feeling in his constricted lungs. And Itachi? Yeah. He hated water. Quite alot. Alot to the extent he'd only agreed to come to the pool specifically ON the condition he wouldn't enter the condition was also to himself. Itachi didn't tell anyone he was afraid of water. He didn't want to either.

"I'll just sit at the edge." he said softly, and did just that. Kisame smiled and for awhile, Itachi thought everything was going to be just fine.  
He became less cautious of the water and twirled his hands around in it too. Besides, it didn't look too deep, and the pool marking said 1.5m. That's still shorter than his height. In any event something went wrong he'd be able to stand. He looked up at the sun.

Well... As they say, nothing good stays good for long. Anything that can go wrong, will. Murphy's law prevailed in this circumstance, in the form a 2 young children running along the poolside, one of them running smack bang into Itachi. The Uchiha's eyes grew wide and before he knew it, he was fully submerged in the water. Vaguely, he heard gasps from everyone, including the two boys. Then some of them started to laugh, obviously unaware he couldn't even swim to save himself. "Itachi finally came in!" Tobi grinned. Hidan laughed his husky, loud laughter, and Deidara was probably grinning. Then he blacked out.

* * *

Kisame dived under, almost instantly. Deidara and the rest took even longer to figure out the situation. When they did, they realized why Itachi had never really involved himself in any water activities; swimming, scuba diving, snorkelling... water polo, or any of those that they had taken part in. Sasori growled, Deidara grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the pool.

"SHIT." Kisame pronounced clearly, Itachi limp in his arms and he made his way out of the pool with the young uchiha boy. "What do we do now?!?" Tobi asked, and Zetsu leaned over him. Kakuzu observed the way Itachi wasn't responding to any of their efforts and nodded. "He needs mouth to mouth Kisame." He said, sure of it. No one doubted this. As the son of a doctoring family, his own band knew themselves not to doubt this.  
Kisame nodded, leaning over the unmoving figure and slowly, he placed his lips to Itachi's, pausing every once in awhile to pump his chest to get rid of any water choking his systems.

After a few seconds, he came to, choking and coughing out water, his head lolling to a side. "Itachi!" Hidan yelled, as Itachi slow gained consciousness, leaning against Kisame's arm for support as he sat up. His eyes were blurred and startling onyx, and he looked up at Kisame. He put his hand on Kisame's shoulders and made to stand up. "Itachi.. un?" Slowly, Itachi walked away from them, his hand that was, one second ago, clutching onto Kisame's shoulders, pulled away like it had been burned. He grabbed the room keycard on the table under the humongous umbrella. The Hoshigaki could only look at his shoulder, bearing red marks from Itachi's strong grip, before he loosened it, and walked away...

* * *

"That." Itachi told himself, holding onto the railing in the elevator, "Was the WORST day of my life." He leaned against the elevator wall, remembering the time he and Kisame had been stuck in the elevator. He flushed red and smiled, remembering how he had fallen asleep. Remembering how, he had taken care of him, and how they had stayed together like that for over an hour and a half, while the repairmen worked the elevator.

The way he had looked unimpressed when the repairmen apologized profusely for the work and the way he had his arm protectively around Itachi in the lift, when he was shielding his view out of the glass with his shoulder. Itachi remmeber how they had walked out of the elevator together, him being embarassed but Kisame unabashedly holding his hand. He used his other to shake the guy while he apologized, till Itachi stopped him and they walked out of the hospital, thankfully without anyone being fired.

He remembered that they walked barely 5 minutes before Kisame's cellphone rang, and they met up with the rest of the gang members, who had apparantly been informed of the situation while he was asleep. Kisame later explained that he said they'd been trapped in an elevator and Itachi was sleeping off the wait, and nothing else. He remembered how grateful he had been for that.  
He remembered how warm it was to be with Kisame.  
He knew how protected he felt around Kisame.  
He liked it.

"Oh god, why am I so stupid.." Itachi muttered, shivering slighty as the elevator stopped at his level. He walked out dripping wet in his black bermudas, his hair lank and matching his shorts in the dripping aspect. He walked back to the room with his eyes on the floor, making the cool journey on his own down the hallway, his and Kisame's shared room being one of the last in the row. As his vision blurred, he wondered if he made the right decision to leave them ust like that.

"ITACHI."

The uchiha didn't even have time to turn around. As he tried, his knees buckled and Kisame caught him from behind. The older of the two growled, stadying him and holding him up properly. "Uhnn.. Kisame kun." Itachi said, addressing him. kisame nodded. "Yeah. It's me." he looked down the hallway, then back at a cowering Itachi, shivering.  
He picked him up and carried him properly. "Come on."  
They went back to the room, Kisame taking the keycard from itachi and swiping it swiftly, bringing him in and locking the door. They stood staring awkwardly at each other.

"I didn't know.. you couldn't swim." Kisame said lamely, and Itachi nodded. "I know."  
Silence.  
Kisame took Itachi's hand and turned him around. "I was really worried about you. They guys wanted to come up as well. I decided to come alone." Itachi inhaled the scent of chlorine on him and nodded. "Thank you.." "I don't know how you felt about seeing them right now, but I'd imagine you'd want to take care of yourself before going out to meet them?"

Itachi smiled and nodded. "Yeah.. yeah, I'd like that." Kisame nodded. Then..

Kisame dipped his head, leaning in and inhaling Itachi's scent. "Mmm..." he mumbled, softly kidssing Itachi's neck. Itachi, shocked, did not react except to wince slight. Kisame shut his half lidded eyes for real and held Itachi's hand tightly. "I don't want to lose you.. I almost did.." He muttered, and Itachi nodded again as he gently kissed his ear.  
"Kisame.." Itachi said softly, and Kisame nodded.  
"Yeah.. I'm uh. yeah.." kisame backed off, laughing awkwardly. Itachi smiled at his cute behaviour, like a schoolboy. "Haha.. you should probably ust yeah.. tidy up?" Kisame suggested. Itachi nodded and grabbed a set of clothes from his suitcase, moving into the bathroom.

"Kisame.." Itachi called, and Kisame followed. "Yes?"  
Itachi tiptoed and kissed him quickly. Kisame stood still and his eyes wide. Itachi smiled, flushed but happy, and went into the bathroom. "Thanks."

* * *

Please Review.

IT'S OUT.  
Please respond especially to the ad!!! D:


	31. Chapter 31

OK!! Here we go.

* * *

"Ok, so back to the rest of the tour... 2 more weeks." Pein said over dinner. The Tsukisa band members looked at each other and nodded. They all knew what it meant. The tour was going to go into overdrive. The Akaku members, however, were less understanding.

"Ok?" Tobi said, drinking the last of his passion fruit. "And.." Konan cleared her throat. "and that means we're going to work harder than ever." She interrupted, and Pein nodded, signalling to the waitress of the place for the bill. Deidara nodded. Itachi looked at Hidan, who returned the gesture. "Yeah," they said in unison. "We'll work hard. Overnight if necessary." Itachi added. Pein seemed pleased at this enthusiasm and smiled a small smile. A small, mean feat for the rest of us, a giant leap for Pein.

"Alrighty then. I suggest you go over the rest of the tour plan with us one more time before we split." Kakuzu offered, and Pein nodded.

"For the rest of the trip it appears our schedule might have a performance with an average of only one and a half days rest AND practice in between." He looked around at all of them before continuing. "That's not the worst part. We got a show that's behind time." At this, all of Tsukisa's members gave a resounding groan.

"OHHHH God." Sasori said, kneading his forehead. Kakuzu shut his eyes and sighed. Kisame allowed his head to rest on his fist, rolling his eyes, and Zetsu's head met the table with a soft 'thud'.

"What's wrong?" Hidan asked. Deidara looked at Sasori and laughed softly.  
"That means..." Pein said, glaring at the four of them, "That our entire schedule is thrown off. All of our performances are going to be moved forward by 1 day." He flipped through the small stack of papers he had in his hands and took out a booklet, flipping to the third page. "That means..." he pointed to one of the lines and nodded, looking at all of them "your next performance is tomorrow night."

...

"HUUUUH!?!?!"

* * *

It was late.

"Oh man, this entire trip has been full of surprise attacks.." Zetsu said, and Tobi nodded. Presently in the studio, the two of them had stayed behind to practice some more and somehow lost track of the time. When Tobi checked his watch, it was already past 1am. "Haha, yeah, I suppose so." Tobi said, smiling. Zetsu sighed, resting his head in his hands.  
"Argh, man, i'm just so tired..." He said softly into his hands, and Tobi walked over.  
"Uhh... Zetsu, you ok..." he asked, putting a hand on Zetsu's back. The older drummer nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just a bit out of it today, that's all.."

Tobi sat down on one of the amps, grinning at his feet. to be honest he loved spending time with Zetsu this way, just talking and hanging out. It didn't really matter where they were at, it was just the quality comepany that counted. Thinking this made him flush a bit, and he consciously tried to pull himself away from the thoughts he had about Zetsu.

"Tobi.." Zetsu said, and the Uchiha's head flicked sharply to him. Which he instantly regretted because Zetsu was loosening his tie and that alone led him to think of many other things he could loosen.. "Uh.." Tobi stumbled, trying to swallow, "Y, yeah?"  
Zetsu nodded, patting the seat next to him. 'Oh god, no. no, please God, I'll pray more if you don't do this to me.' Tobi thought, and then Zetsu said, "Sit?"  
Tobi looked up at the sky and sighed, sitting next to Zetsu.

"Uhm... so are you nervous about tomorrow?" Zetsu asked, smiling and leaning back against his flexed arms. Tobi smiled and mirrored him. "I'll be ok. I usually get nervy right before the performance, but then 3 seconds into it i get this... this high, and I just forget I was nervous in the first place. It's really cool." he said flushing, and Zetsu laughed, nodding.  
"I know what you mean.. I get that alot." he grinned freely, and Tobi smiled.  
It was so easy for them to understand each other. And Tobi knew he loved that. It felt liberating to be around someone who understands.

"Do you want to get a drink?" Zetsu asked, and Tobi nodded, standing up. "Sure!" Zetsu smiled and nodded. "That's the way."  
Tobi tripped.

Zetsu's arm came beneath him, snaking around his stomach area and his other hand holding onto Tobi's left shoulder. "Woah."  
Tobi flushed full on and refused to look at Zetsu as he stepped back, Zetsu still holding onto him. "I'm really sorry... Th... thanks.." He moved to turn, but Zetsu held him.  
Zetsu held him.  
Zetsu nuzzled Tobi in between his shoulder and neck, breathing softly. Tobi winced, his head snapping automatically to the left as Zetsu shut his eyes on his right. Tobi felt hot as Zetsu held him tight in this compromising position. "Uhm.. Zetsu.." Tobi shut his eyes, beginning to develop some pretty impure thoughts as Zetsu kissed his neck lightly. "Mmm..." Zetsu mumbled, before sucking on Tobi's neck softly. Tobi's eyes widened.

Oh god.. oh god oh god oh god... OH GOD...  
Tobi knew that some of the others were pretty wild. In particular Kisame and Sasori, of course, being younger contributed to that as well.. But he didn't expect Zetsu to be doing something like this, out of nowhere.. Tobi had trouble swallowing as he accepted that even though he never expected this to happen,

He knew that to him it wasn't entirely unpleasant..  
In fact, it was QUITE the opposite.. In fact, it was VERY pleasant... And he relished Zetsu's tongue running over the tender skin of his neck... The soft muscle massaging his neck now after leaving its reddish print, licking the the sore spot on Tobi's neck slowly. Tobi couldn't resist. He let out a soft whimper.

"Tobi.." Zetsu whispered softly in the younger drummer's ear, causing him to shiver a little. "Y.. yeah..." Tobi responded. Zetsu sighed. Turning him around to face him, he frowned.  
"I'm sorry... I'm really.. I'm.." he said, and Tobi looked into his eyes.  
"Don't be." He cut him off, and slowly, he tiptoed to Reach Zetsu's lips, kissing him lightly and softly, blushing beetroot. Zetsu, taken aback, had wide eyes and barely registered this long enough to hold Tobi carefully in case he fell backward off the stage. Tobi's eyes slid shut and moments later, Zetsu did the same.

It was really, really late.

* * *

"Where are those two.." Hidan muttered, and Kakuzu smiled, leaning on the balcony. Remembering his text from Zetsu, he didn't really feel he had anything to worry about.  
Glancing at Hidan, he shook his head irratably. "Stupid brat. Trust your friends more, will you?" he said, in a scolding tone. Hidan rolled his eyes.  
"Whatever, mother."  
"Shut it, freak."  
"Yeah well, zip it douchebag."  
"Excuse me?" Kakuzu smirked, snaking his arm around Hidan's waist, causing him to turn slightly red. "What was that?" he asked, pulling down his mask so that he could kiss Hidan's ear.

"Nothing." Hidan replied, pouting and looking away. Kakuzu moved from his earlobe down to his neck and smiled, before turning Hidan's face to his and licking his lips. Hidan hesitated for awhile before Kakuzu growled lowly and he grinned, parting his lips. They kissed for awhile before Hidan, smiling, broke the kiss and leaned into Kakuzu, watching the busy streets below them. He leaned against the bar and smiled. "Nothing at all."  
Kakuzu pulled his mask back on properly and nodded. "Yeah, I thought you said that."

* * *

Itachi and Kisame were having a similar discussion.  
"I'd be worried about them, but I already know them. And Zetsu and Tobi both are pretty responsible." Itachi said, and Kisame nodded. "Zetsu gets so responsible i call him mum by mistake sometimes." the other boy replied with a straight face, and Itachi tsked, throwing a pillow at his head.  
Smiling, they shared a large breakfast set, not really hungry but still needing to fill themselves for the next few hours of intense playing.

"Do you want this meringue?" Kisame asked, and Itachi nodded, "Sure." The morning light streamed in throught the drapes and cut across Kisame's bed, where itachi lay on his belly and Kisame sat with a leg up on the bed, the other on the floor. Kisame watched itachi eat the meringue, as he carefully ate the crusts so that he reduced the number of crumbs on the bed, how he picked up one of the deep red strawberries and licked the cream off it, before biting into it, smiling softly, daydreaming.  
He watched Itachi finish the meringue, licking his lips.

"How did the meringue taste?" Kisame asked. Itachi looked at him, startled. "Huh?"  
Kisame covered his mouth with his hands, a soft pink on his face. "Nevermind."  
Itachi smiled.

"Why don't you find out..." he offered, sitting up and giving Kisame a kiss.  
"You taste like Meringue." Kisame commented.  
Itachi nodded. "Exactly."

* * *

Sasori smiled, watching Deidara wipe his face with a towel. "You ready?" he asked. Deidara turned around. "For, un?"  
"Oh yeah. We're gonna head over to the studios early." Sasori said. Deidara tossed the face towel on the bed, taking off his shirt slowly. "Ok. I'm gonna change, un." Deiadra said, and Sasori nodded as the blonde turned away from him. He looked the other way as well. He knew that he still needed to respect Deidara.

Out of curiosity, Sasori pondered the way he viewed Deidara.  
The Akasuna heir was brought up to know what beauty was. In fact, he's been exposed to all kinds of beauty, in it's many forms. He painted, so he had the gauge of artistic beauty. He fought, so he also had the beauty of morale. He made music, and knew what was beautiful ust by listening. Sasori Akasuna would go as far to say that he knew beauty.  
Sasori akasuna would say Deidara was beautiful.

So why didn't he tell him that.

Sasori laughed a soft chuckle. "Why indeed..." he murmured. Deidara turned around, dressed in a black sleeveless turtleneck with shock yellow lines on th hemming, black jeans with a printed belt. "Sasori? Did you say something, un..?" he asked hesitantly. Sasori smiled and got off the bed, and walked Deidara to the dresser in their room, turning him around to face the mirror that reflected the both of them and Deidara's slightly blushing face, Sasori's right arm around his stomach and the fingers of his left hand interwining with Deidara's, nuzzling into the blonde's neck.  
"You're very beautiful." Sasori mumbled, and Deidara looked in the mirror. Sasori was flushing flushly as well.

Suddenly it all seemed so funny. Deidara laughed softly and after awhile, Sasori laughed as well, joining in. Deidara turned around and grinned, holding Sasori.  
"Thanks, un.. you're very sexy yourself, un." Deidara said, and Sasori nodded seriously, resting his hand on the small of Deidara's back. "Oh hell yes, Sexy is THE word." he said, smirking. Deidara laughed again, before Sasori tipped his chin upwards and they kissed softly.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you for eating my last famous amos cookie, un." Deidara reminded.  
"I'll buy you the factory. Kiss me."

* * *

Please Review.

THEY ALL GOT CLOSER THE TIME SKIP IS EVIDENT RAWR.


	32. Chapter 32

OHHC'ish this time ___O

* * *

"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I swear, it'd only be for one day. ONE DAY!!" the girl pleaded. the band members looked at each other, dumbfounded that she would even dare to request such a thing, especially when she knew who they were and was a fan of their music. "ONLY ONE DAY!! Pleeeeease, please help me!" she said. Pein pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat, looking at Konan, who nodded awkwardly.  
"Um... we're free till Wednesday... so..." she looked at the rest of them. "I don't know... if you guys want to then.."

What's going on? Well, at their most recent concert, a girl who had somehow managed to acquire backstage passes ran up toward them and chatted for awhile, as her pass permitted her to do so. She invited them to visit her outlet where she worked down Mai street avenue, and naturally, in light of boredom, they conceded to doing so, not realizing that she worked at a...  
Host Club.

"Why do you need us here anyway? You have alot of hosts and hostesses." Sasori commented, watching 2 of the men entertain a group of college students. Deidara looked around the place, wide-eyed at the deco. Tobi grinned over Zetsu's shoulders as he observed the careful arrangement of the flowers.  
"We're not as good as it looks." she admitted sadly. "We've got our publicity out already, and lots of people know us, but business hasn't been exceptional." she sighed. "If you guys help us, our ratings will hit the ceiling, I know it!!" she pleaded. Itachi looked at Kisame, who blinked several times, before stifling a chuckle.  
"Are we that handsome in the first place?" Hidan asked. Deidara nodded, grinning, "There are loads of people around here I see that are hotter than we are, un."  
"Do you mean America, or the Host Club?"  
Deidara blinked before realizing his mistake and flushing. "Oops, un." he said softly.  
"PRECISELY!" she yelled sadly, her shoulders sagging after her outburst. "We're good, but not good enough to keep many regulars." she said.

Tobi hopped over, Zetsu behind him this time. "Let's help!" he said happily, and Deidara looked at Itachi involuntarily. The entire bunch shared glances before Zetsu said something, much to everyone's surprise.  
"I don't see the problem..." he mumbled. "We're free and there's nothing to do. This will take our time, and we'll be helping Kerri." he said, referring to the girl who requested their help.  
Pein nodded. "We definitely ARE free. We're not even booked for interviews or meetings, not even sightseeing trips."  
"Moreover, these host clubs seem to be the culture. we have those maid cafes back in Japan, but this is kind of new and different, the customers are all young and most of them look like they're studying." Konan observed, and the girl nodded hopefully.

Everyone looked at each other before their gazes came to rest on Kisame and Itachi, the presumed band leaders of the Tsukisa and Akaku. kisame looked at Itachi, who nodded slowly.  
"Ok."

* * *

"Kyahh!!" One of the girls, Mika, squealed, and Hidan laughed, his silvery white hair gleaming under the light. "Hidan kun, you're hilarious." she smiled shyly. One of the guys, Kevin, grinned at the pair and nudged his best friend, who was slightly sullen and more unwilling to chat. "Woah, so suddenly every other guy's hilarious aside from us, eh, Mike?" he laughed. Gan pushed him slightly and the girls laughed again, seeing his face.

Kakuzu had everything worked out, and as he passed Hidan a napkin with cheat notes on it, Hidan wiped the table carefully and smiled innocently at Kakuzu, obviously indicating he had no use for them for he had figured the facts out for himself.  
Tenka was attracted to Mike, which was an abosulute shame because while she was a pretty little thing, Mike was attracted to Mika. Mika was unattached and it was unknown if she liked anyone. And ongoing relationship between Kevin and Rachael was obvious, and the three other girls that tagged along were just curious about what happened at these clubs. The other boy, Miguel, might have been gay or bisexual. all they knew was that he probably wasn't very straight.

Kakuzu poured more tea into the teacup, thinking about this little web of relationships before gracefully set it down. This looked contrasting due to his large build, but despite that, Hidan found this rather comforting and not at all disconcerting.  
"Well, I had an interesting childhood..." Hidan stopped briefly. ".. But sure everyone here has an interesting story or two to tell, yes?" he smiled dazzlingly. Kakuzu stared at those pearly white teeth and sighed, remembering the sly way they'd nipped his neck, recalling the pink tongue it hid, the same one that tasted of iron and something else...

"..Right, Kakuzu san?"  
Kakuzu looked up and laughed. Hidan cocked his head. "Something up?" he asked. Kakuzu shook his head. "Nothing." he reclined against the lavish red sofa, draping his arm along the backing of it, hiding his hand behind Hidan's back. He smiled at the ladies, occasionally stealing glances at Hidan and adding to the conversation appropriately.  
His hand had another idea as it traced down Hidan's spine to the small of his back, Kakuzu sitting such that no one would notice his subtle change in movement, the belief that they were best friends hiding any notions of a relationship between them.

As far as anyone could tell, this had not caused any change in Hidan's behavior whatsoever, but Kakuzu knew now. He knew the little gestures Hidan made, the small little movements against his digits giving away Hidan's liking for the new development in their little tea party with the college girls from the school down the road. Kakuzu smiled at another senseless comment by the fair lady with raven black hair and kneaded against the small of Hidan's back, pausing and withdrawing his hand only when Hidan leant forward to refill one of the girl's glasses of wine, a reluctant gesture of duty. when Hidan's warm, fair back returned to Kakuzu's senses, he drew circles and wrote his name on Hidan's fair skin, willing time to pass faster as he remembered a little room down the corridor that said, "No Entry" on the door, which was a rule obviously meant to be broken.

* * *

"We're Sasori and Deidara, un, and we're your hosts for today!" Deidara said happily, holding Sasori's hand. The girls' stared at this, and Sasori smiled. "We're marketing a brotherly love here, ladies, we hope you don't mind.." he said, suddenly pulling Deidara in front of him and concocting a very "brotherly" scene.  
"Oh Deidara, I hope you don't mind me using the word marketing, it's such a disgusting word for what lies between us..." he said passionately, trying his best to look serious. Deidara looked into his auburn eyes and nodded, leaning against him.

"Sasori, how can I mind when the words "brotherly love" left your lips, un!?" he said, equally as passionate. Sasori and him clutched each others' hands in a prayer-like fashion.  
"Oh, Deidara..!!"  
"Sasori, un!!"  
The girls nearly fainted with glee at the display of "brotherly love" between two extremely hot young musicians. "KYAAAH!!, KYAAAAH!!!!" they screamed. Kerri grinned like a cheshire cat and noted them down as potential regulars, moving around the area with relish at the business.

Pein watched this with mild amusement. Apparently "brotherly love" was extremely marketable amongst ladies. He'd have to find a legal and politically correct way to exploit this.

Sasori sat down on the sofa, rudely setting his legs up on the table, even though his shoes were clean since the floor was lushly carpeted with red. He stretched his arms out sideways along the negligee and stretched his arms out both ways. Deidara stared at this and for awhile, sat awkwardly before moving closer to Sasori. He bent over the tea set but was not confident, due to his klutzy-ness we may presume, to handle the delicacy of even an informal tea ceremony. He placed a finger on his lips and considered the beautifully set table before turning to Sasori, mumbling "Help.." under his breath. Sasori laughed and leaned forward, muttering, "Alright, alright."

turning to the ladies, Sasori entertained them with this; "I remembered serving tea was a big thing back in Japan. I often had to host people in my home, which is why tea ceremonies and practices became like a second nature to." he picked up the teapot and turned it slowly, scrutinizing its detail. "I've always believed that everything we do tells a story. And every movement we make impacts that story." he considered the tea set and smiled. "For example, this tea set has a fairytale like feel to it." he wriggled a finger in the air for no particular reason.  
"Now, water always adds a carefree, airy atmosphere, which is perfect for our "story" for today!" he smiled.

Lifting the teapot up to slightly above his head, Sasori simultaenously lowered the teacup, spinning it around it's handle on his pinky before righting it and slowly tilting the teapot after a 5 second judgement. The ladies were on the adge of their seats, one of them reaching out with her hands on impulse as Sasori tilted the teapot, lttle gasps escaping them. Deidara leaned forward slightly, smiling in anticipation.  
A gentle arc of tinted water began from the spout of the printed teapot, descending into the tiny teacup with little roses around the edge, the barely audible slosh conveying that tea had been made without any wasted. the ladies were delighted, clapping and laughing happily, pleased at the display.  
"I used to have to host very often back in Japan." Sasori confided to everyone. "It was troublesome, but I thought the skill might come in handy another time." He smiled. "It appears I was right." He slipped a saucer under the tiny teacup.

Deidara smiled. "Bravo, Mr Darcy and Sebastian the butler all rolled into one, ladies, you may have him at the expense of me, un." He feigned steady annoyance and stood to leave.  
Sasori handed one of the girls the teacup hurriedly and followed Deidara. "Dei? Dei, what's wrong?"  
Deidara turned around. "I, I'm just..." he sighed. Sasori hugged him. "I thought, you're so talented and stuff, un.. what if they offer you a better position in future.. what if you leave me behind, un?? You're an Akasuna, high and up in social circles. I hardly know where I come from." he turned again. The ladies gasped at this.

Sasori smiled, grabbing Deidara's wrists and turning him around again, knocking their foreheads together. "Deidara, I'll never leave you behind..."  
The blonde frowned. "You'll be wasted on me, un.. your talents, money, status, everything, un.. You'll be wasted on me, un."  
Sasori nodded and smiled again. "By God's, I hope so." Deidara laughed and exhaled softly, and after an eternity, replied "I was being silly, un, I'm sorry."  
The akasuna lifted a lock of Dei's soft hair and tucked it behind his ear, the girls squealing at their charade, while he whispered for real; "I'll never let you go. I promise."

Deidara smiled.

* * *

"Tobi san, you seem to know alot about tea ceremonies." one of the young women observed, smiling. Tobi nodded gaily. "We had to host loads of people at our place, me and Tachi' over there." he said, gesturing over to Itachi, who hosted another group of college ladies from the college down the road.  
"Well, that's very interesting." one of them titttered. They sipped their tea and Tobi glanced Zetsu's way, leaning over him playfully as it was his habit and poking at one of the Nasturniums. "Zetsu, are you bored?" He asked in a whisper.

Zetsu looked at him and shook his head, smiling. "The formation of this display is wrong, that's all." he said kindly, before turning back to the ladies. "I'm so sorry for ignoring you.." he said softly. They laughed nervously, and giggled as they turned to each other, Zetsu's dark, touseled green tinged hair and unusual coloured eyes catching their hearts with ropes and pulling tight. "It's quite alright." one of them said. "Tobi's been entertaining us while you were doing that." she gestured to the flowers.  
Zetsu smiled, pouring tea. "I see."

Tobi smiled, bringing a plate up to his eye level. "Look, Zetsu, they have cake!!" he grinned widely. "Mango, jelly, creme and sponge." he counted off, and Zetsu nodded, smiling.  
"Yes yes, that is pleasant." he laughed, and Tobi grinned. "Want some?" "Sure." Zetsu replied absently. He took the plate and picked at the fork lying on the side, slowly cutting a piece from the slice and slipping it between his teeth, taking care to chew with his mouth closed.  
Tobi watched him, smiling. Zetsu noticed the ladies talking amongst themselves, printed plates clasped in their thin hands, but Tobi didn't seem to have a plate. "Where's your slice, Tobi, have you finished it?" he asked. Tobi shook his head, elbows on his knees, back arching backward as he suddenly stretched his arms out toward the ceiling and returned to his elbows on knees and head in hands pose.

"There wasn't enough, so I handed it out first." Tobi shrugged, one of the ladies leaving to head to the bathroom. Tobi smiled and gestured down the hallway and she bowed in thanks as she walked out. Zetsu looked at Tobi, who was smiling. Feeling slightly bad for eating the slice of cake that the sweet-toothed Tobi could well have kept for himself, Zetsu picked up his form, and smiling, lifted it to Tobi's lips. "Here, you should try some of this." he said.  
Tobi stared at the mango cake for a second before flushing. Zetsu suddenly realized what he did and he began to retract his hand. "Oops. Sorry, what was I er, thinking, haha.." he laughed nervously, as the girls began to point and giggle. Before Zetsu could pull his arm back, Tobi grabbed Zetsu's wrist and tasted the mango cake, licking the fork tentatively before smiling.

"Thank you, it was delicious." he said softly, and he left go of Zetsu's wrist to refill the teacups, faking his little laughs. Zetsu set the plate down on the table with a clatter and took Tobi by the shoulders. "You're a vair' messy eater..." he scolded playfully, before he held Tobi's head in place and wiped away the crumbs around the corner of his mouth, a smear of creme on his thumb. Tobi was stunned, and Zetsu laughed softly, and kindly.

"We have to look presentable, right?" he said seriously, before resuming his quiet chuckle.

* * *

"Itachi, will you get that for me please?" Kisame said, leaning forward to pour more tea as Itachi crept over his back to get at his cellphone. "Ok."

_"Hello? Is this Kisame Hoshigaki?"_  
"No, this is his sexy-as-hell boyfriend who's requesting you present yourself in a more impressive fashion that also allows me the benefit of knowing who the hell you are." Itachi said in a smooth and monotonous breath. Kisame rolled his eyes as the ladies tittered at his joke, unaware of Itachi's words.  
_"Boyfriend? What the fuc... tell him this is Sohma. He'll talk to me."_

Itachi froze. Sohma.  
_Sohma?  
THAT_ Sohma?

Kisame stared at Itachi, who was absolutely frozen. "Itachi, what's wrong?" he asked. Itachi didn't move. He held out the cellphone, slightly jittery.  
"It's for you. Your old_ friend_." he said, dripping with sarcasm. Kisame stared at the caller ID and his eyes grew wide. "Ita.."  
Too late. He was gone.

"Kisame, you there, man? Who was that? Forget it, it doesn't matter.. Look, I thought about what you told me.." Kisame could hear the awkwardness in his tone. "I mean, dude.. I uh, think we could give it a shot.. I don't think I'd adjust so quickly, but if you ask me, I'd say that there's no harm in... Kisame?"  
"Sohma, you have called at the worst possible time, in the worst possible place, and have spoken to the worst possible person." Kisame growled, and he cut the line, Pein smoothly intercepting his session with a smile and a bottle of wine at the ready.  
Kisame went off to find Itachi.

* * *

Please Read and Review.

Oh my god, so late -.-"


	33. Message

**I'M BACK.**

**And I know you're all dying to skewer me, but please give me some time to explain.**

**Lately there's been a lot of laptop trouble on my end. So I'll be jumping back into writing. Hope I regain my fan base, or what's left of it. Please, if you're reading this message, reply to it. I still wish to continue updating this fanfiction.  
**

**Review if you've read this before and want me to continue please~**

**THANK YOU.  
**


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